


One Step up from the Dirt

by Jackdaw816



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Aromantic Asexual Pidge | Katie Holt, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Bisexual Matt Holt, Bisexual Shiro (Voltron), F/M, Gay Keith (Voltron), M/M, Pansexual Hunk (Voltron), Past Rape/Non-con, Selection AU, Shatt is established and married, Two years older than canon, broganes, endgame klance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-09
Updated: 2018-05-29
Packaged: 2019-02-12 09:33:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 23,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12956379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jackdaw816/pseuds/Jackdaw816
Summary: Keith didn’t mind being a Seven, until he fell in love with a One. The prince was perfect and unattainable. Keith was one step up from the dirt. Who would love a boy like him?A Selection AU.A/N NOT UPDATING  Go to "The Seven"





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Selection AU, like it says. I call Lance "Alejandro" originally so don't get thrown off by that. It's a mess, but since I took the time to figure out 35 Selected, I hope you enjoy it. Also my chapters are probably pretty short. Sorry bout dat. The letter is almost word for word cause I'm lazy and don't want to try to sound eloquent.
> 
> Main Character Castes  
> Keith-Seven  
> Lance-One  
> Shiro-Two  
> Pidge-Three  
> Hunk-Six  
> Matt-Two

I lay on my bed, the sound of Shiro making dinner floating up through the vents. I love my brother, but to be honest, his cooking skills left something to be desired. I sat up and ran my fingers through my long hair. Shiro was always nagging me to get it cut. I pulled my hair band off my wrist and pulled my hair back in a ponytail. Standing, I crossed over to the window and pulled back the drapes.

  
The sun was setting over the sea, casting the waves in an orange glow. Once again, I was reminded how different Carolina was from my birth province. I hadn’t lived in Sumner for eight years, but this city still felt foreign to me.

  
“Keith, get your ass downstairs!” Shiro’s yell startled me and I jumped. I landed on the edge of the curtain and slipped. I hit the ground with a thud that echoed throughout the house. I scrambled to my feet, but before I could leave the room, the door flung open.

  
“Really, Keith? You’re that clumsy?” Pidge stood in the open doorway, glasses perched crookedly on her nose. I walked out, pushing her aside as I passed.

  
“Ha ha, very funny.” I said dryly as I walked down the stairs. Shiro glared at me when I walked in, but didn’t say a thing. I sat at the table, Pidge taking the seat next to me. We sat in amiable silence as Shiro set the table and plated the food. As he sat down, the door flung open.

  
“Kashi, did you hear the news?” Matt burst into the room, glowing with excitement. Shiro smiled and held up a letter, the royal crest of Illéa on the front. I let out a groan, but it was muffled by Matt’s shriek of joy.

  
“I can’t believe they’re holding another Selection,” Pidge griped. “I thought only Princess Veronica needed to have one.” Matt sat down beside Shiro and snatched the letter out of his hands.

  
“I heard that the prince wanted a chance to find love and that his parents couldn’t find any reason to object." Matt opened the letter and started to read it aloud.

  
“‘To the House of Shirogane. The recent census has confirmed that a single man or woman between the ages of sixteen and twenty currently resides in your home. We would like to make you aware of an upcoming opportunity to honor the great nation of Illéa.’” Pidge and I shared a glance. Man? We had both assumed that the prince was straight. Matt continued to read, unfazed by the unexpected change from the last Selection. “‘Our beloved prince, Alejandro McClain is coming of age this month. As he ventures into this new part of his life, he hopes to move forward with a partner, to marry a true Son or Daughter of Illéa. If your eligible son or daughter, brother or sister, or charge is interested in possibly becoming the groom or bride of Prince Alejandro and the adored prince or princess of Illéa, please fill out the enclosed form and return it to your local Province Services Office. One man or woman from each province will be drawn at random to meet the prince. Participants will be housed at the lovely Illéa Palace in Angeles for the duration of their stay. The families of each participant will be generously compensated for their service to the royal family.’”

  
“Well, that’s interesting.” Shiro said, taking the letter from Matt. “I guess this letter is for both of you.” He pulled two forms out of the envelope.

  
“No way, Shiro. I’ll pass. Boys are gross.” Pidge said immediately. Shiro nodded and turned his gaze on me.

  
“No, I’m not going to do it, Shiro.” I said firmly.

  
“Why not? Give me a reason why you shouldn’t at least try.” He questioned, everyone at the table staring at me.

  
“He’s so dull.” I tried. Pidge laughed.

  
“You can’t judge a book by its cover, Keith.” Shiro said. I stood.

  
“Well, I don’t want to be a One. I don’t even want to try.” I stormed out and up the stairs. I walked into my room and slammed the door behind me. I could hear Shiro shouting after me, but I didn’t listen. I opened the window and climbed onto the sill. I heard the door knob rattle as I pulled myself onto the roof.

  
I sat at the top of the roof and let the wind whistle past me. I didn’t know why Shiro was so insistent on me signing up for the Selection. He and Matt were Twos, so we weren’t exactly hurting for money, even with Katie living with us. I looked out at the sea, the sun half-sunken below the horizon.

  
“Enjoying the view?” I turned to see Matt, balancing on the roof. He came and sat beside me, setting a plate on the chimney.

  
“What’s that for?” I asked, my tone blunt. He shrugged.

  
“You didn’t eat dinner.” I ignored the plate.

  
“I’m not hungry.” Unfortunately, my stomach chose that time to growl. Matt laughed, the sound echoing out into the streets.

  
“Sure, and I’m not gay.” His tone softened and he turned to look at me. “Shiro wants what’s best for you, Keith. He knows that there’s more to your future than being a Seven. You’re too good to waste your life doing hard labor.”

  
“I like my work.” I mumbled, not altogether certain. Matt stared at me.

  
“You have a chance to find true love. To be a prince. To change your life for the better. Don’t throw this chance away.”

  
“Pidge is.” I said. Matt banged his fist on the roof.

  
“Fuck, that was a stupid idea.” He said, cradling his hand to his chest. “Anyway, Pidge is ace. She wouldn’t be happy, but you would. I’ve seen the prince, we all have. He’s as handsome as Shiro.” I winced.

  
“Please don’t compare the prince to my brother. That’s a mental image that I could live without.” Matt laughed again.

  
“My point is that it won’t hurt to try. Fill out the form. At the very least, Shiro will stop bugging you about it.” Matt stood up and checked his watch. “Make sure to come in before curfew, okay?” I nodded and Matt climbed back into the house. As soon as he was gone, I started to eat. It was nice of him to bring food up for me. He was good for Shiro. I wouldn’t be good for anyone.

  
As the church bells chimed eleven, I slipped back into my room. I closed the window and drew the drapes. I started down the stairs to put my plate in the sink. As I drew closer to the kitchen, I heard Shiro's voice.

  
“I’m worried about him, Matt. Keith's smart, but he isn't prioritizing himself. That's preventing him from getting anywhere. The Selection is the best chance he has to break free.” I couldn't hear Matt’s reply, but then I heard footsteps heading my way. Plate still in hand, I ran up the steps and ducked into my room.

  
Closing the door behind me, I put the plate on my desk and sat on my bed. I heard Matt and Shiro's footsteps on the stairs. I let out a sigh of relief, when I heard their door close. I fell back onto my pillow and closed my eyes.

  
Sunlight glared through the open drapes. I sat up and blocked the sun with one hand. Shiro stood by the window, smiling.

  
“Why are you so happy? It's too early to be happy.” I said, running a hand through my hair.

  
“A. I've had my coffee, and B. Because today’s the day you sign up for the Selection!” He said, clapping his hands together. I groaned and fell back on the bed.

  
“I already said that I wasn't signing up, Shiro. There’s nothing you can do to change my mind.” Shiro sat at the end of my bed.

  
“What if I bought you an apartment?” I sat up, ears perked.

  
“Really?” I asked, bouncing a little in my seat.

  
“Yes. But only if you sign up for the Selection.” Shiro insisted. “After the names are drawn, and if you aren’t one of the Selected, I’ll get you your own apartment. Since you didn’t want me to get you a higher caste, I figured this was the next best thing.”

  
“You just want me to stop eating all your food. Besides, I like being a Seven.” Keith mumbled.

  
“Well, either you’re a Seven or you’re a One. Sounds like a win-win to me.” Shiro said, pulling out the form and a pen.

  
“Did you bring the form up here when you had no idea if I would say yes or no?” I asked, already knowing what his answer would be.

  
“I knew you would agree.” Shiro stood and grabbed the plate from my desk. He opened the door and paused. “And Keith. I’m proud of you. Who knows, the prince could very well be your soulmate.” With those words, Shiro left, shutting the door behind him.

  
“Very helpful, Mr. ‘I found my true love because he stitched me back up after I was an idiot and got myself blown up’.” I mumbled under my breath and flinched. Luckily, no one had heard me. Shiro said he was fine, but he wasn’t. Losing an arm in a terrorist bombing can do that to you. I shook my head and sat at my desk.

  
The form was, for the most part, simple. Contact information. Full name, Akira “Keith” Kogane. Age, Nineteen. Caste, Seven. I also had to list my height, my weight, and hair, eye, and skin color. As I read further, the questions grew stranger.

  
Why would they need to know how many languages I could speak? I was glad that I could speak four. English, Spanish, Korean, and Japanese. As the queen came from a Spanish-speaking family, the schools had taught Spanish in her honor. Korean was my mother’s language and it came naturally to me. Shiro had pressured me to learn Japanese and it was similar enough to Korean that I had picked it up quickly.

  
I finished filling out the form and folded it up. I looked down and realized that I was still wearing my clothes from yesterday. I put on a clean shirt and finger combed my hair. I grabbed the form, pulled on my shoes and headed downstairs.

  
Matt was sitting at the table, drinking coffee and fiddling around with a motherboard. Pidge was nowhere to be seen, but Shiro was standing by the door waiting for me.  
“You ready to go?” He asked. I nodded. “Matt, we’ll be back soon.” Matt waved a hand, not looking away from his project.

  
“Bye, Kashi.” Matt said. We stepped out of the house and started to walk. We had a car, but Shiro preferred to walk short distances. The Public Services Office was only a couple of blocks away. We turned the corner and froze.

  
A line of young men and women stretched halfway around the block. There were more women than men in line. That wasn't uncommon due to the conservative population of Carolina. We joined the line and the person in front of us turned around.

  
“Hey, Shiro. What are you doing here?” Shiro brightened when he recognized who it was.

  
“Tanner!” The two clasped hands and pulled each other into a quick embrace. As Shiro pulled away, he answered Tanner’s question. “Keith is going to sign up for the Selection, if we can ever get through this line. It seems like every eligible person in the province is entering.” Tanner’s bright green eyes flickered with confusion when he noticed me.

  
“Keith? I thought you were straight?” Tanner asked, confused. I laughed, short and harsh. Shiro joined in upon seeing Tanner’s expression.

  
“Keith is the gayest person I know.” Shiro said between laughs. “I think your gay-dar broke.” Tanner clutched his chest, offended.

  
“My gay-dar is perfectly functional, thank you very much.” Tanner gave me a once-over as if he could somehow rank my gayness. “And it’s telling me that your brother is the second gayest person I know. No one could beat Addison.” Shiro winced.

  
“I hate to say it, Keith, but he’s right.” I shrugged.

  
“Anyways, Tanner, I think the real question is, what are you doing here?” I asked. He let out a small laugh.

  
“Madison’s signing up as well.” He said, referring to his younger sister who was talking with someone ahead of them in line. “I’m glad that they let Prince Alejandro have both boys and girls in his Selection. Since Princess Veronica is with child, he won’t need to worry about producing an heir.” I stopped listening as Tanner talked with Shiro. It was nice to see Shiro with actual friends. Everyone knew of him, but few people actually know him.

  
After the bombing, Shiro had had been to the palace to be honored for his courage. We had flown out to Angeles to meet the royal family. I was young, maybe 14 or so? Shiro had just turned 21, but he was poised and dignified in a way that I don’t think I ever could be. I don't remember seeing Prince Alejandro.

  
“Keith, it’s your turn.” Shiro’s voice snapped me out of my flashback. I nodded and handed over my form. I signed to confirm that my information was correct and sat to take my picture. As the camera flashed, I let out a sultry smile. If I had to play, I would play to win.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to catch a glimpse of Prince Alejandro. Can Keith's gay heart handle it? You'll just have to wait and see. 
> 
> I probably won't be updating this often, I just wanted to get a chapter out before the weekend was over

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Shiro's kind of a celebrity? I don't know when that happened, but oh well. It fits the plot and I don't want to rewrite it.

I sat on the couch, wedged between Matt and Pidge. It was Friday, so the Illéa Capital Report was on. They weren’t going to announce the Selected for two more weeks. Even so, the Selection was still going to be the hot topic of the night.

The Illéa National Anthem played as the crest of Illéa appeared on the screen. King Evan and Queen Alessandra were sitting in their thrones, smiling. Princess Veronic sat to the king’s right, her husband Prince Jason beside her. But, my attention was drawn to the queen’s left. Prince Alejandro sat up straight in his chair, smiling and waving. While his smile looked genuine, his deep blue eyes looked tired.

“Hey Keith, look, it’s your boyfriend.” Matt joked. I ignored him and studied the prince. I suppose he was good looking, with flawless tan skin and a stunning smile. But he sat up too stiff in his chair, poised to the point that he appeared lifeless. After the king made some announcements, Coran Smythe took the stage.

“Good evening, people of Illéa. As I'm sure you all know, our beloved Prince Alejandro is holding a Selection to find his future spouse. His Selection is unusual as he is offering both boys and girls the chance to compete. Please join me in welcoming the exalted prince, Alejandro McClain.” Alejandro stood and made his way over to Coran, sitting in a chair opposite him.

“It’s good to see you, Coran.” Alejandro replied. I wasn't surprised at the calm emotion in his voice, like his father’s. He seemed friendlier though, like he wasn't as tired of interviews.

“Well, everyone is dying to know why you have opened your Selection to both men and women?” Coran asked, his tone carrying no judgement.

“I know it's unconventional, but I’m a proud bisexual and I thought that my Selection should reflect that. There's no reason that I shouldn't have the opportunity to find my soulmate, male or female.” Alejandro said, his voice breaking out of its calm tone. The crowd cheered and Coran had to motion to quiet them.

“Thank you, Prince Alejandro. We have received the first round of applications and more are coming in by the hour. Do you feel overwhelmed by all the attention on you?” Lance laughed.

“Not at all. Being the younger prince, most of the attention was on my sister. It's nice that Princess Veronica has decided to lend me some of her fame.” This garnered another round of laughter from the audience. Princess Veronica rolled her eyes. “I’m kidding, sis. Love ya.” As the interview wore on, I could notice that the prince was becoming more natural. It was attractive, I guess.

“Well, that's all the time we have for tonight. See you next Friday!” The anthem played again as the screen faded to black.

“I’m going to bed.” I said, standing up and leaving the room.

“What's his problem?” I heard Pidge say from behind me. I climbed the stairs and slunk into my room.

“I’m too gay for this shit.” I whined as I flopped on my bed. If I had to pursue a relationship, at least the man was attractive. And a man. Shiro had tried to set me up with a girl before I came out. That had not ended well.

I rolled over to face the wall and sighed. Why had I filled out that form? Nothing had changed, but it felt like everything was different. I kicked off my shoes and pulled off my shirt. I pulled a blanket over my shoulders and lay still, waiting for sleep to take me. It didn't come for hours.

I woke up to the sunlight streaming through my window. I sat up and stretched before getting up and walking over to the window. It was Saturday, so the streets were quiet. I noticed a girl standing in the road. She looked up and her eyes widened. That's when I remembered that I was shirtless. I blushed and closed the curtains.

I pulled a clean shirt on and put on my shoes. On Saturday mornings, Shiro and I would go to the track and run a couple of miles. He was ready and waiting when I got downstairs. Matt and Pidge were sitting on the floor, tinkering with a large piece of machinery. Pidge looked up when I stepped into the room.

“Keith, do me a favor and tell Matt that he can't go with you. I need him to stay and help me.” Matt stood and latched onto Shiro's arm.

“You'll let me come with, won't you, Kashi?” Matt batted his eyelashes, trying to woo Shiro into taking his side.

“Sure you can. If you want to run a 5 mile race against Keith.” I grinned and put a hand on my hip.

“Sounds like fun. Shiro won't let me race him anymore. I kept lapping him and he gave up.” Matt let go of Shiro's arm.

“Maybe I’ll go get groceries instead.” He sprinted out of the room, grabbing the keys from the side table.

“We went shopping yesterday!” Shiro hollered after him. The door slammed and Shiro sighed when he heard the engine roar. “Damn it, Matt! I was going to take the car. Well, I guess we're walking, Keith. C’mon.” I nodded as Pidge waved farewell.

By the time we reached the track, I was ready to strangle Matt.

“Next time, let's bring him with us.” I panted, exhausted from the heat. Shiro nodded in agreement as we walked out onto the track. It was almost empty, except for someone doing push-ups by the starting line. He stood up as we approached him.

“Hey, guys.” Tanner said with a friendly wave. “Here for your run?” I nodded.

“Matt tried to tag along and when we said that he couldn’t, he stole the car.” I explained. Tanner winced.

“Sometimes I don’t know why you married him, Shiro.” Tanner said, shaking his head. Shiro laughed.

“Because I love him.” I could sense tension between them, so I quickly changed the subject.

“Hey Shiro, I’ll race you one lap around the track. Loser has to help Pidge when we got back.

“You’re on.” He agreed, grateful for a distraction. “Mind starting us off, Tanner?” Tanner nodded and we got into starting positions.

“First one back to the line is the winner. Ready. Set. Go!” He shouted. I took off like a dart. Sprints were my strong suit and there was no way that I was going to lose to my brother. I snuck a glance behind me and noticed that Shiro was gaining on me.

I picked up the pace as I rounded the final corner, Shiro matching me stride for stride. Shiro crossed the line a second after I did.

“Keith wins!” Tanner announced, almost surprised.

“You were always better at sprints.” Shiro agreed. Just then, his phone went off. Most people didn't have private lines, but Shiro had insisted that Matt and him have a way to contact each other. He answered and held the phone up to his ear.

“Matt? … What do you mean ‘Pidge blew up the kitchen’... We're on our way.” Shiro ended the call and looked at me. “We need to go, Keith. Sorry, Tanner.” Tanner nodded and waved goodbye as Shiro and I headed back to the house.

When we were about a block or two away, I turned to Shiro and asked, “So what was up with you and Tanner?” Shiro stumbled and almost tripped.  
“Nothing. Why?” He said, panicking. I laughed.

“I could sense the tension when you mentioned Matt. Did something happen between them?” Shiro sighed, wringing his hands.

“No, but something happened between us. One night, back when I was still serving under the draft, someone brought in some wine. Long story short, we made out while we were drunk and I don't think he ever really got over me.”

“Does Matt know?” I questioned. Shiro looked at me, appalled.

“No, I didn’t tell my husband about something that could compromise our marriage.” He said, the sarcasm layered thick. “Of course I told him. He knows I love him and would never abandon him.” I nodded.

“I never doubted you, Shiro.” I said as we turned into our driveway. Matt came out of the house and hugged Shiro.

“Turns out Pidge didn’t blow up the entire kitchen. She accidentally put metal in the microwave and it caught fire. It’s all under control now, but we’re going to need a new microwave.” Matt said, pulling away. Shiro sighed.

“This is what I get for living with a pair of scientists. Where is Pidge?” Shiro said as we walked into the house.

“She’s cleaning up the mess.” I could smell the acridic scent of smoke still in the air. Pidge came out of the kitchen, light brown hair ruffled and mussed.

“Hey, Broganes. Keith, come and help me with Rover.” She said, heading up the stairs. I out a sigh and followed her up to her room. She opened her door and we walked in.

“Wow, Pidge. Is this your room or a landfill?” I said, stepping over a pile of crumpled papers and robot parts.

“Ha ha, very funny.” She said, flopping on her bed and flinging papers off of it.

“We aren’t really going to work on Rover, are we?” I asked.

“Nope.” She said, popping the “P”. “We’re going to talk about your boyfriend.” I rolled my eyes.

“For the last time, Pidge, he’s not my boyfriend. I haven’t even been picked for the Selection.”

“Yet. So spill. You ran away after the Report last night.” I pulled a couple of books off of a chair and sat down.

“I didn't run away, I was tired. Besides, I'm not going to be picked. They say that the Selected are chosen by lottery, but everyone knows that that can't be right. They're not going to pick a Seven when they could have a Two.” I said.

“Well, you’re right about it not being a lottery, but your chances are better than you might think. You’re taking college classes and you're a Two in everything but the law.” Pidge reassured me.

“But the law is the only thing that matters.” I complained.

“Not if they're actually looking through the applications. They aren't going to ignore the brother of Takashi Shirogane.” Pidge said and then grimaced. “Also, and I hate to say this, you are handsome, Keith. I’m sure you'll be picked and then you can go make Alejandro your actual boyfriend.”

“Thanks, Pidge.” I said, standing. “Speaking of classes, I have one in an hour and I still have to finish my paper. See ya.” I left the room and walked down the hall to my own room. I entered my room and sat at my desk.

“Two weeks and the Selection is either over or beginning.” I whispered, holding my head in my hands. “I can make it that long, can't I?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Selected are announced!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this is a short chapter, but Alejandro makes another appearance!

I can't. Everywhere I went, people were surprised that I had signed up. If I hear “I thought you were straight “ one more time, I swear I'm going to spontaneously combust.

The Report before they announced the Selected was normal. Mostly boring politics and new work contracts that I would most likely get roped into. I spent that week working and finishing up my summer classes.

I was working to get a degree in Linguistics, so that I could get a job as a translator. Shiro had insisted that I have an advanced education in case I wanted to climb the castes. I agreed because I like learning languages and because I felt bad for being a burden.

It was Friday night before I knew it. In less than an hour, the course of my life would change. Either I’d be selected or I would move into my own apartment. I took some comfort in knowing that whatever happened, I would be away from Shiro and Matt’s PDA. Sure, it was their house, but there's only so much cuddling a guy can take.

I left my room and entered the lion’s den. Pidge was sitting cross legged in the armchair, headphones looped around her neck. Shiro was sitting on the couch, Matt cuddled against him. I sat on the opposite end of the couch and reached for the popcorn.

“Hey, Pidge. What was Queen Alessandra’s caste before her Selection?” Matt asked.

“She was a Four, she worked on a farm in Dominica.” Pidge replied.

“I'm going to pretend that that wasn't creepy how fast you answered.” Matt said, stealing the popcorn from me.

“Matt, I was eating that.” I complained. The anthem started to play and Shiro waved his arm.

“Shut up, everybody, it’s starting.” He said. Coran Smythe stepped out and quieted the studio audience.

“Now I know you're all excited to hear the names of the Selected, but first let's see what Prince Alejandro has to say.” There was a light smattering of applause as the camera panned over to where he was sitting.

“I know that this is very nerve wracking for those who submitted forms. I wanted to say that I'm glad that you allowed me to have this opportunity to find a love of my own.” He said, fidgeting with his cufflinks. The crowd burst into applause and the camera turned back to Coran.

“A truly stunning sentiment, my prince. Now please join me in welcoming the following Sons and Daughters of Illéa.” The screen blackened, leaving the image of an empty portrait frame. A small box in the corner would show Alejandro’s reaction to the pictures.

“Miss Willow Sanchez of Honduragua, Four.” A pretty Samoan girl appeared on the screen, her dark hair neatly plaited. Alejandro smiled, clearly liking what he saw.

“Mister Grant Bauer of Sumner, Five.” A handsome black man popped up, hair shaved close to his head. I recoiled, I knew him. Alejandro nodded his head at Grant’s image.

“Hey, Keith, isn't that your old friend from Sumner?” Shiro asked.

“Yeah, I’m glad he made it. Now shh, they're about to announce the next one.” I hissed back.

“Mister Adrien Halker of Denbeigh, Two.” A Caucasian man appeared, his light blond hair perfectly styled. Alejandro didn't seem displeased, but he wasn't happy either.

“Guess Alejandro doesn’t like blondes.” Pidge commented. “That works in your favor, Mr. Emo.”

“Yeah, well that’s assuming that I even get selected.” I sniped back.

“Miss Allura Smythe of Whites, Two.” She was dark-skinned, but her hair was a brilliant platinum blonde, almost white. Alejandro beamed.

I leaned over towards Shiro. “Do you think she dyes it or…”

“Mister Akira Kogane of Carolina, Seven.” I whipped my head around and stared at the screen. There I was, bedroom eyes and all. As I looked to see Alejandro’s reaction, Matt screamed and jumped up, sending the popcorn flying. Alejandro looked... startled. It was the last thing I saw before the world went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want the full list of Selected, tell me in the comments.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith wakes up, they get a visitor, Keith gets embarrassed. Nuff said.
> 
> T/W: Mentions of rape/non-con, non explicit,

“Keith, Keith, wake up!” A stinging across my face brought me back into consciousness. I sat up, touching my face gingerly. Shiro was kneeling over me, but glaring at Pidge.

“Did you slap me?” I questioned. Pidge grinned.

“Maybe. But that's not important right now. What’s important is that you got Selected!” she said. I looked around. The Capital Report had finished and the TV was off. Matt was talking on the phone in the corner.

“I did?” I said, uncertain. Matt hung up and walked over.

“They're going to be here at 8 tomorrow.” He said, addressing Shiro. Shiro stood and pulled me up.

“Who's going to be here?” I asked.

“The team that's going to help you with the Selection process.” Matt said, before walking out of the room.

“Go upstairs and take a minute to process this.” Shiro said. I moved towards the stairs and he put a hand on my shoulder. “Also take a shower and straighten up your room. We want to make a good impression.” I nodded and he let me go.

Once inside my room, I locked the door and dragged the chair in front of it. I pulled open the window and shimmied up onto the roof. I made my way over to the chimney and sat down. This was happening, I was one of the Selected. I will go to the palace to compete in a competition for the prince’s affections. It all seemed so unreal. I stayed up on the roof until the bells chimed eleven.

The next week was so busy. A flurry of people from the palace came to prep me for the Selection. The day before I was due to leave, a final visitor came to the house. I was upstairs, trying to decide what to bring with me when the doorbell rang.

“Keith, Mr. Fuentes is here.” Shiro hollered from downstairs. I made my way down the stairs and into the living room. A thin man was sitting in the armchair, talking softly with Shiro. He turned his head towards me and smiled.

“Here’s the man of the hour.” He said, standing to shake my hand. I shook his hand and sat on the couch opposite him. Shiro sat next to me as Mr. Fuentes pulled out a clipboard. 

“Mr. Fuentes is here to go over the official Selection rules and protocols.” Shiro explained. Mr. Fuentes nodded in agreement and turned to me.

“The rules for the most part are straightforward. Mr. Kogane, I know that this is going to sound harsh, but as of last Friday, you are considered the property of Illéa. This means that you are going to need to take proper care of yourself. Your latest physical puts you in good health, but it says you haven’t been sleeping well.” He eyed me over top of his clipboard.

“It’s just the excitement of it all.” I fudged. Shiro turned his disapproving gaze on me. Mr. Fuentes nodded.

“Well, I have some sleep aids available if you need them.”

“I’m fine, you don't need to go out of your way to…”

“Please get him the sleep aids.” Shiro interjected. He nodded and made a note. I just glowered at Shiro.

“Of course.” He said before continuing with the rules. “Now you are not to wear any clothing or eat any food that has not been provided by the palace. It's just a security measure. Your only romantic relationship is with the prince. If you are caught writing love notes to someone here or being intimate with someone at that palace, that would be committing treason. As you know, treason is punishable by death.” I blinked, not quite believing his words.

“You can't be dismissed by anyone but the prince. Even the king and queen can't force you out. While you don't need to be friends with the other contestants, you can't be hostile with them. If you are caught doing anything that could impair their personal relationship with the prince, it's up to him whether or not to dismiss you.”

“You are not above the law. If you break any of Illéa’s written laws, your punishment will be the same as any citizen. If you reach the final ten, you will be considered an Elite. At that point, you will learn more about the inner workings of the palace. From this moment on, you are a Three.” 

“A Three?” I asked.

“Yes, we’ve found that contestants have had trouble adjusting to life after the palace. If you win, you and the rest of your family become Ones as members of the royal family.”

“Even though I’m adopted?”

“Yes. And should you go to the end, you will marry Prince Alejandro and become the crowned prince of Illéa and take on all the rights and responsibilities of that title.”  
He paused and looked at me.

“Do you understand so far?” He asked.

“Yes, sir.” I replied.

“Good, because this next question is the most important. Don't be embarrassed because I’ve had to discuss this with everyone. I need confirmation that you are a virgin.” Shiro whipped his head around and looked at me. I blushed a deep crimson red.

“Really?”

“Yes. If not, we'll need to know that immediately.” He said with a smile. Shiro and I exchanged glances before I turned to Mr. Fuentes with a sigh.

“No, I am not a virgin.” I admitted. He nodded and moved to write something down before quickly popping his head back up.

“Excuse me, I must have misheard you. You said that you aren't a virgin?” I nodded.

“I was raped when I was eight.” I replied. He frowned and stroked his goatee.

“And you haven’t had sex since then, correct?” He asked. 

“Yes.” I said.

“Does this affect his eligibility for the Selection?” Shiro asked. I rolled my eyes. Trust Shiro to ask the obvious questions.

“I'll need to report this to the palace, but I don't think you'll have a problem. Since it happened when you were a child, you can't be at fault.” He stood and offered me his hand again. “Welcome to the Selection, Sir Akira.” I stood and took his hand.

“Call me Keith.” I said with a smile. We started walking to the door.

“Of course, Sir Keith.” I let out a little sigh at the title, but I suppose it was inevitable. I move to open the door for him, but he held it closed.

“One more thing. This isn't an official rule, but it is important. Do not turn the prince down for anything. Kisses, more than kisses.”

“What!” Did he just tell me to let the prince have it if he wanted it?

“It would not benefit you to reject the prince in any manner. Good day, Sir Keith.” With that he wrenched open the door and left. I stood there for a moment in stunned silence before closing the door. I walked back into the living room. Shiro was still sitting on the couch, waiting for me to come back.

“Well I think that went pretty well.” Shiro said. I scoffed and scraped my foot on the ground.

“If by pretty well, you mean that everyone's going to find out that I was raped, then yes, it went pretty well.” I deadpanned.

“I'm sure that Mr. Fuentes will keep it quiet. Now you should go and finish packing so that we can spend time together before you leave.” Shiro added. I nodded and climbed the stairs to my room.

I had no idea what to bring. I had packed a change of clothes to wear when they kicked me out. I didn't really have much else. I had some simple stud earrings and a couple of leather bracelets, but they wouldn't exactly match the clothing that I would be wearing at the palace. I stowed them in my bag anyways. Just then Matt poked his head into my room.

“Need some help?” He stepped into my room and closed the door behind him.

“No. I don't have much to pack.” I said, gesturing at the barren room.

“Got your tags?” He questioned. I nodded and pulled them out from under my shirt.

“Never go anywhere without them.” Shiro had given me his dog tags from his time in the guard. It was nice to have a constant reminder that someone cared.

“Too bad you have to leave your blade.” Matt said, sitting on my bed and rustling through my bag. My blade was the only thing that I have from my mother. The palace wouldn't allow weapons, so I was trusting Shiro with its care.

“Speaking of which…” I reached under my pillow and pulled it out. I flipped it around and handed it to Matt, handle first. He took it and nodded.

“Thanks. We’ll keep it safe.” Matt said. I grabbed my bag and reorganized the mess that Matt had made of it.

“You’d better. Now come on, before Shiro has to drag us downstairs.” I set my bag on the chair and walked out, Matt right on my heels. One last night of semi-normalcy before I leave this life behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please yell at me in the comments


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith prepares to leave Carolina peacefully, but some people disagree.
> 
> T/W Homophobic slurs

The next morning, I rolled out of bed. Literally. I landed on the floor with a hard thump.

“Fuck this.” I griped, pulling myself free of the blanket and standing up. I rubbed my shoulder, sore from hitting the floor and sleeping awkwardly. As the haze of sleep drains away, I’m hit with the realization that I’m leaving today. I shake it off the best I can and go across the hall to take a quick shower. I try the handle, but it’s locked.

“Whoever the fuck is in there better get the fuck out of there.” I yell, pounding on the door.

“Fuck off, Keith.” Matt hollers from the bathroom.

“Finish up and get out.” I yell back before starting to pace the hall. Luckily, Matt stepped out of the bathroom a minute later, towel wrapped tightly around his waist.

“Bathroom’s all yours, bud,” he said with a wave, before disappearing into his and Shiro’s room. I took a quick shower before retreating back into my room. I changed into the outfit that all the Selected had to wear. White shirt, black pants, and my province’s flower, a lily, in my hair. It was a little awkward to get the flower to stay in my hair. I took comfort in knowing that the other men in the Selection would be having a hard time as well.

My shoes, I got to pick. I pulled on my favorite black combat boots. I looked in the mirror and sighed a breath of relief. I still looked like me, but with a goofy flower in my hair. I checked to make sure my tags were around my neck and not visible under the shirt. They could pry these tags from my cold dead hands. When I was confident that I looked presentable, I grabbed my bag and headed downstairs.

The palace had provided clothes for everyone. Shiro was wearing a white suit with black and silver accents. It made his arm seem natural and elegant. Matt and Pidge were wearing almost identical black suits with dark green accents. Pidge’s seemed more feminine and cute compared to Matt’s. 

“Mornin’, Keith.” Matt called. Shiro walked over and pulled Keith into a hug.

“You go and do great things, Keith. This is your life and you’re going to live it to the fullest.” Shiro said, wiping a tear from his eye. I squirmed out of his hug, but was immediately hit by Pidge’s.

“I’d say that I’ll miss you, but now I can use your room for extra storage.” She said, stepping back from the hug.

“You guys haven’t changed a bit.” I commented. Matt stood and walked over to me as well.

“We got you something.” Matt explained, handing me a small box. I opened it to reveal a sleek silver phone with a red “V” on it. I turned it on to reveal three names in the contacts.

“We all have one.” Shiro said, pulling an nearly identical phone from his pocket. The “V” on his phone was black. Matt and Pidge followed suit. They had white and green “V’s” accordingly. 

“I modified them so that it’s a secure, private line. You’ll be able to call us anytime.” Pidge explained. I could feel my eyes getting wet.

“You guys.” I pulled them all into a hug.

“I wasn’t about to send my brother across the country without a way to stay in contact. I’m not Pidge.” Shiro said, slightly muffled from the hug.

“He’s not wrong.” Pidge said, pulling away. I tucked my new phone in my back pocket and shouldered my bag. There was a knock on the door. Antok, my aide, was waiting to take us to my going away party. Every Selected got their own party. I wasn't looking forward to mine.

I sat next to Pidge in the limo that the palace had provided. Matt and Shiro were sitting across from us, chatting excitedly. Pidge and I were glad to let our brothers fill the silence.

We slowed down as we approached the square, the limo carefully maneuvering through the throngs of people. I was surprised at the amount of people who had come out to see me. The limo pulled to a stop and I stepped out.

There was a small stage that had been constructed just for my send off. The mayor noticed me and motioned for me to come up. As I climbed up onto the stage, the crowd erupted in cheers.

“I am proud to present Carolina’s Selected. Please welcome the ward of Takashi and Matthew Shirogane, the handsome Sir Akira Kogane!” The mayor announced. 

“You can call me Keith.” I whispered, knowing that it was pointless. The mayor suddenly appeared at my side.

“Would you like to say something?” He asked.

“No.” I replied bluntly. He blinked and nodded.

“They’ll teach you how to respond properly at the palace.” He huffed before turning back to the crowd. He started to talk about my attributes. I tuned him out and looked at the crowd. Many people had made signs cheering me on. Others had made signs with slurs and threats.

“Time for you to say your goodbyes, Sir Akira.” Antok instructed. Matt and Shiro were holding each other and beaming. Pidge looked indifferent, but I knew she would miss me  
.   
“Call us when you get there” Shiro instructed. I nodded and hugged them all one last time.

“See you later, gay.” Pidge said.

“Bye.” As I turned to leave the stage, something hit me in the face. I flinched and raised a hand up to my face. I turned to face the crowd and had to sidestep to avoid another projectile. As it hit the stage, I realized it was a tomato.

“Go to hell, you fag!” A man called from the crowd. Other similar jeers followed. I tried to pretend that the tears welling in my eyes were because of tomato juice. Antok took my arm and pulled me off the stage and into the car. I could hear the rhythmic thumps of rotten fruit hitting the car.

As the car started to pull away, I could see the stage clearly. With me out of range, the naysayers had turned on the others. The mayor had abandoned ship while Shiro and Matt were shielding Pidge. Shiro’s suit was red with tomato juice and Matt was glaring daggers at the crowd. The crowd was growing louder and more violent. I heard heavier thuds and saw a couple of men being arrested by guards.

Before I pulled completely out of the square, I risked a final glance. I saw a brick fly through the air and strike Shiro squarely in the back.

The car had escaped the havoc of the square and was on route to the airport. I was still back in the square, reliving the moment. I resisted the urge to call right away. If he was seriously injured, a call would only distract them. 

My bag had safely made it to the car and I rifled through it for something to clean the tomato off my face. I pulled out a sock and wiped the juice off my face. I looked in the reflection of the glass and sighed when I saw the bright red stain on my shirt. Luckily, my hair and the lily in it had survived the onslaught. I shoved the now stained sock back in my bag and looked out the window. The Carolina countryside was whizzing past the window. 

“We should arrive at the Carolina airport in about three hours, Sir Akira.” Antok said from the driver’s seat.

“You can call me Keith.” I said.

“If you prefer that, Sir Keith.” He must have caught a glance of my face in the mirror. “The guards will handle the riot. I’m sure your family will be fine.” I choked back a sob.

“My brother, he got hit with a brick.” I said. Antok didn’t look at me, but I saw his face in the mirror. A flash of fear followed by anger.

“They hit Takashi Shirogane? One of our nation’s bravest soldiers?” Antok questioned.

“Yes. All because he legally married a man and sent his brother off to compete for one.” I hissed, feeling more and more anger flow the longer we talked about it.

“Where was he hit?” Antok questioned.

“His upper back.” I answered. Antok let out a small sigh.

“He should be fine. I had assumed that he had been hit in the face. Thank goodness I was wrong.” He explained. 

“As long as we don’t crash before we get to the airport, I think everything will be alright.” I said. Antok blushed and turned his attention back to the road. I gazed out the window and watched the hills roll by. Now was the time to relax before I had to face more crowds and worse. Other Selected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to be on vacation over Christmas, so I'm planning to post another chapter on Thursday or Friday to make up for it. Next chapter, we finally meet some other Selected.  
> Come yell at me in the comments, I love reading them.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We actually run into other Selected for once!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's going to be a couple of weeks until I post again. Vacation is a great time to write, but a horrible time to post.

Since the airport was in Carolina, I was the first person there. I sat on a bench, Antok standing at attention behind me. It wasn’t too long before I spotted another Selected approaching. She had shoulder-length red hair and amber eyes. Her aide trailed close behind, holding her bag.

“Hello.” She said cheerfully as she approached me. “What’s your name?” She offered me her hand. I stood and shook her hand.

“I’m Keith.” I saw a hint of confusion flash in her eyes. She slapped her forehead and sighed.

“Hello, Megan! You’re Akira Kogane.” She said.

“Guilty as charged. And you must be Megan.” I replied.

“Yep, Megan Morse of Allens, Five. You’re a Seven, right? What do you do?” She asked. I was surprised at how blunt she was. I didn’t sense any hostility behind her words, she seemed honestly interested in my work. 

“I work in construction, maintaining roads and such. What’s your focus as a Five?” I asked, not wanting to seem rude.

“I’m a dancer. Hey, what happened to your shirt?” She questioned. I looked down and remembered the stain on my collar.

“Some protesters at my send-off party started throwing tomatoes.” She winced.

“I’m sorry. Are you okay?” She seemed genuinely worried for me. Even if she was straight, I felt like I could get along with her.

“I’m fine.” I noticed another Selected coming towards us. “Here comes another one.” I commented. He was tall with long hair bleached blond from too much time in the sun. He was tanned and his green eyes flicked with amusement. He stopped by us and crossed his arms.

“Hi, I’m Megan. What’s your name?” Megan asked cheerfully.

“Spencer.” He said, seeming overwhelmed by Megan’s cheerfulness. I couldn’t blame him, Megan was almost too exuberant.

“Oh, Spencer Ayers of Kent, Seven. Keith here’s a Seven too.” He gave me a once-over.

“I don’t remember there being a Keith in the Selected.” He said, not accusatory, just curious.

“My real name’s Akira.” I explained. He nodded.

“What happened to your shirt?” I sighed.

“Protesters were throwing tomatoes.” 

“Because you’re gay, right? There were some pretty hostile people at my send-off too.” He explained. Just then I saw someone coming towards us.

“Rich boy at 12 o’clock.” I said, changing the subject. The new boy had short black hair with a daisy pinned in it. He seemed vaguely Native American, but I couldn’t really tell. I knew he had to be a Two or a Three because of his fancy shoes and the fact that he seemed to be judging us already.

“Hello, I’m Megan. This is Spencer,” He waved. “and Keith,” I nodded. “What’s your name?” 

“Michael Alexander of Clermont, Three.” He answered haughtily. He caught sight of my stained collar. “What happened to you?” He asked, bluntly.

“Tomatoes. I take it no one in your province protested your sexuality.” I said. 

“No. A Three is more beloved than a Seven at any given time.” I felt a wave of anger course through my body. I clenched my fists and took a deep breath. “That is what you are right? A Seven.” He gloated. Spencer and Megan exchanged nervous glances. I smirked and put my hand on my hip.

“Actually, I’m a Three. We all are. And don't you dare try to judge someone by their caste. My brother was born a Five and he’s the best person I know.”  
“Do you think I care about some musician who fell from glory?” Michael said.

“You would care about Keith's brother.” Megan snapped, her cheerful manner fading immediately. Michael turned to her and studied her apprehensively.

“And why is that? It's not like he’s famous.”

“My brother is Takashi Shirogane.” I said. Michael blinked. “And you can say whatever you want about me, but if you insult my brother, I will not hesitate to deck you.”

“You’re lying. Takashi doesn’t have a brother.” Michael stammered, trying to recover.

“I’m adopted. And the same people who hit me with tomatoes hit my brother with a brick. I don’t even know if he’s okay or not, because I came here with the same goal as you. To compete for Prince Alejandro.” I noticed an airport employee approaching. “Now, I suggest you think before you speak. It’d be a shame if you were to insult the prince.” I snatched up my bag as the employee started to speak.

“Well, I see all of our Selected are here. Follow me and we’ll be off to Angeles before you know it.” I followed him quickly, Megan and Spencer by my side.

“That was amazing, Keith.” Spencer whispered.

“Thanks. Let’s just hope it doesn’t come back to bite me.” I replied. I could sense Michael glaring at the back of my head.

“I hope your brother’s okay.” Megan told me.

“I do to.” The plane was amazing, nothing short of the best for royalty. I could feel the Holts influencing me as I started mentally critiquing the plane’s design. The inside was spacious and I quickly claimed a seat far away from Michael. To my surprise, Spencer and Megan sat near me.

“You guys don’t have to sit with me.” I said.

“But we want to.” Megan said from her seat across from me.

“You make much better company than the natural Three anyway.” Spencer said, settling in next to me.

“Do you think the other Selected are going to be like that?” Megan asked as we started taking off.

“Hopefully not. My brother’s husband is a natural Three and he and his sister are as nice as anyone.” I said, hoping to calm her.

“Hello, Megan! I’ve heard of him. He made your brother’s prosthetic, right?” Megan asked.

“Yep, Matt and Pidge spent forever on it. It’s what really kicked off their business.” I replied, glad that she was actually interested. “They made this phone for me, it’s really high tech.” I pulled it out of my pocket and handed it to Megan. Spencer turned to me.

“If you don’t mind me asking, how long have you and Shiro been brothers?” I smiled.

“It’s fine, I don’t mind. Well, I was adopted when I was eight, so it’s been about eleven years.” I winced and memories flooding back. The bitter cold wind blasting right through my thin coat. The bruises left on my arms and back from fights. The bruises left on my hips and neck from that man. The woman who found me afterwards. The escape she provided for me. The family I earned that day, three people who actually cared about me.

“Keith, you okay?” I blinked. Megan was holding my phone out to me and both Spencer and her were staring at me with worried expressions. I took the phone and tucked it in my bag.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“I don’t think you’re fine, Keith. You were out of it for like five minutes.” Megan said.

“You started crying.” Spencer said, bluntly. I raised a hand to my face and wiped away a tear.

“I’m fine, guys, just had a flashback. Sorry that you had to see that.”

“Why'd you have a flashback? They don't hurt you, do they?” Megan asked.

“No, they don't. I just remembered my life before I was with the Shirogane’s.” I shook my head, trying to clear the thoughts before they formed. “How ‘bout you tell me about you guys? You don't want to hear more about me, trust me.” They exchanged quick glances before Megan turned to me and smiled.

“Sure! So, I’m a Five, Hello, Megan! I mean, I was a Five. I’m sixteen and and I’m a dancer. I have one little brother, he’s eight. What about you, Spencer?”   
“I’m eighteen and I was a Seven. I worked on a farm with my five siblings.” Spencer said. I let out a low whistle.

“That must have been a hassle.” I said.

“Oh, it was, but I love them all dearly.” Spencer admitted.

“I don’t know how I would have managed without Garfield growing up.” Megan said.

“Same, Shiro was always a calming presence during my panic attacks.” They started staring at me. I thought over what had said and started fidgeting with my chain. I just admitted that I had panic attacks to a couple of strangers. No wonder they were staring at me.

“Do you know how bizarre it was to hear you call Takashi Shirogane, ‘Shiro’?” Spencer said, breaking his stare.

“It’s felt like you had walked up to the king and called him ‘Ev’.” Megan added. I couldn’t help it, I started laughing hysterically.

“It’s so weird hearing you say that. I forget that he’s technically famous. He lost the golden boy image ages ago in my book.” I said, choking back laughter.

“Pray tell, Keith, what inspired that change?” Spencer said, a shit-eating grin spreading across his face. I sighed and leaned in close.

“If I tell you, you have to promise to not tell anyone, okay?” I whispered.

“We promise.” They said in unison.

“Well, Matt was fine-tuning this prototype taser and he needed a volunteer to test it on. I bet Shiro $100 that he wouldn’t let me taser him. Long story short, I was working overtime for three weeks to pay him back.” Spencer laughed, a deep throaty bark.

“Holy shit, man, that’s gold.” He said. Megan was laughing too, her little giggles as bubbly as she was. I glanced over at Michael, still sitting half the plane away from us. He had headphones on and wasn’t looking in our direction. I looked out the window and noticed that we had sunk beneath the clouds.

“Looks like we’re here.” I said, feeling the plane start to angle downwards. We touched down on the tarmac and started rolling to the terminal. The door opened and a palace aide walked towards us.

“Welcome to the sunny province of Angles! Please follow me and we’ll have you at the palace in no time.” I nodded and stood, slinging my bag over my shoulder. Michael strutted off the plane as if he owned it. I followed him out into the airport and into a horde of screaming fans.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith gets a makeover and a mysterious stranger makes an appearance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's 4am where I live, but I wanted to get another chapter posted. This is the last one I have fully written, so it might be a bit before I update again. If you're concerned about the lack of Hunk, I promise he'll make an appearance eventually. He was the hardest person to find a place to put him in this AU. Also, I don't know anything about makeup, so just assume he looked pretty.

The airport itself was quiet, but as soon as the guards opened the door, the air was spilt with screams. Michael seemed shocked at the amount of people, but Megan darted around him and started out, smiling and waving. He quickly recovered and started smiling and waving as well. Spencer and I exchanged nervous glances before following. The guards had set up a red carpet leading to the limo, the sides blocked off to separate us from the crowd.

I knew exactly why Michael had been shocked. Many people were holding signs… with my name on them. Sure, his name was on a lot and Megan and even Spencer had their fair share, but the overwhelming majority were for me.. I walked over to someone who was waving a pen and paper at me.

“Would you please sign this, Akira? You’re my favorite.” She said. I took the pen and paper. 

“Please call me Keith.” I signed the paper “Keith” and handed it back to her.

“Sure, Keith. What happened to your shirt?” I sighed.

“Tomatoes. Tomatoes happened.” I replied. She nodded, her eyes confused. “Why am I your favorite?” I asked.

“You grew up overshadowed by your older brother and now you’re more famous than him. It’s nice.” I blushed and quickly hurried away. The rest of the conversations followed the same tangent. Everyone brought up Shiro eventually. It was almost an hour before I left the crowd behind. I thought that I had taken too long, but Michael took fifteen minutes longer. I had claimed a seat next to Spencer which left Megan having to sit next to Michael. She looked uncomfortable for the entire ride to the palace.

“What do you think about Prince Alejandro?” Spencer asked. I blinked, startled.

“Well, he’s handsome.” Megan chimed in from across the car. We laughed and Spencer waved his hands.

“But seriously, guys. Have any of you read his interviews with Coran Smythe?” We shook our heads. “He’s so natural and he jokes every other question.”

“It’s probably because he grew up under the shadow of Princess Veronica. I know firsthand how easily you get overlooked.” I added. Michael let out a short laugh.

“That’s because you’re a nobody Seven and your brother is a national hero.” He said. We all just stared at him, and Megan scooted to the other end of the seat.

“Like I said before, we’re all Threes. I don’t think your constant attacks on my caste are going to win you any points at the palace.” I pointed out. He huffed and turned to look out the window. I looked as well and noticed the palace drawing nearer.

Five minutes later, we pulled up to the palace. A man raced up to the car, four maids behind him.

“Is this the group from Carolina?” He asked frantically. I nodded. “We’re running behind, so hurry along.” We all got out of the car and followed him into the palace. We walked down a narrow hallway and entered a giant room set up with makeover stations.

“Whoa.” I heard Megan whisper. The man looked over the stations and gave instructions to the maids following us.

“Have them take ‘before’ pictures, then take them to their stations. Take Lady Megan to station five. Looks like they finished up at station seven, so take Sir Michael there and Sir Spencer to ten. Sir Akira, we’ll put at four.” The maids moved quickly and after taking a before picture, I found myself in a salon chair. A smiling man entered and gave me a once-over.

“Sir Akira, I’m going to be your stylist today.” He said, offering me his hand. I shook it and he immediately turned to business. “Now we need to do something with your hair.” I brushed my hand through it self-consciously.

“Really? I like it.” I said. To the man's credit, his smile never wavered.

“Of course. We’ll just give it a trim and make sure it's clean. Now, what image are you going for? We can play off your picture, make you quite a tempter. Or we can play that down if you prefer.” I blinked.

“I really don't want to change much.” He nodded and motioned for his team to come over.

“We’ll just make you suitable for the palace then. Polish your image.” He snapped his fingers and the team got to work. My hair was washed, dried, and trimmed. My stylist had been examining his notes when he looked up and saw my clean hair.

“Sir Akira, have you ever considered dyeing your hair?” He inquired.

“No. I never really had the budget for it anyway.” My stylist walked up and lifted a strand of hair.

“Hear me out on this. What if we dyed your hair red?” My eyes flashed with panic. He saw my reaction and quickly recovered. “Just a strip of it!” He assured me. “With your length of hair, you’ll almost always have it braided back. The red will pop and make you stand out.” I gnawed on my lip nervously. Did I really want to stand out? But a red streak sounded cool, so I agreed.

While I was waiting for the bleach to finish its job, I looked over at the station next to me. A girl was sitting there, her dark brown hair twisted up in a bun. She noticed me and smiled.

“Hello, I’m Elizabeth, but you can call me Eliza.” Her brown eyes twinkled cheerfully. I smiled already at ease around her.

“I’m Akira, but you can call me Keith.” I said, quietly mocking her. She laughed, her laugh as cheerful as her eyes.

“My sister was looking into the Selected and told me to watch out for you. But Angelica sizes people up too quickly. You don’t look quite as sexy as you did in your picture.” I tried not to be offended by her words, but they still stung.

“I don’t know, I heard red streaks were pretty sexy. Maybe your sister was right all along.” Just then my stylist arrived to finish dying my hair. By the time he was done, Eliza had already left. I might have to find her again later, she seemed friendly like Megan.

With my red streak dyed, they french braided my hair, securing it on the end with a little garnet studded clip. I admired my reflection in the mirror. He was right, the red streak was pretty.

A couple of girls started working on my nails. They buffed and trimmed them until they looked like I had never chewed on them. They pulled out a tray of nail polish and I jolted.

“Can I not get my nails painted?” I asked. One of the women just smiled and nodded.

“Of course. Most of the Selected men so far have opted out of polish. We’ll just put on a clear coat.” I was surprised at their skills, my nails were painted in no time. They put on a light layer of concealer and winged my eyeliner. The wings look good with my Korean heritage.

What felt like an hour later, I was finally deemed ready to go to wardrobe. The men there helped me get into a long sleeved red shirt with a black vest and a red and black tie. I refused to remove my dog tags, I kept them tucked in my shirt. I had to trade in my boots for fancy leather shoes. I made sure that my boots would make it to my room along with my bag before I let them take them away.

I took an after picture before sitting down for an interview. I clipped the little mic to my lapel and sat on the stool.

“Sir Akira Kogane of Carolina, formerly a Seven.” The interviewer said, addressing me formally.

“I go by Keith.” I explained, hoping that people would finally figure it out.

“Of course. So, Keith, I see you got some hair dyed. Any particular reason?”

“No, not really. My stylist suggested it and I thought it sounded interesting.” 

“Well, that's going to benefit you later on. According to an inside source, the prince finds that attractive.” I almost snorted. Inside source. I was 95% certain she had made that up. She continued, oblivious to my awareness.

“How do you feel about the other Selected? Worried about anyone's looks?”

“I’m not worried. I'm sure the prince knows how to look past a pretty face and see what's important.” I smiled, although my mind was running through worse case scenarios. Hopefully, I hadn't come off as too rude.

“That should be good.” She said, motioning to turn off the camera.

“Really?” That was easier that I had expected.

“We have to fit 35 of you into an hour and a half.” She deadpanned. I nodded and stood. I unclipped the lapel mic and handed it to her. An maid came up and addressed me.  
“Sir Keith, I’m to take you to your room now. In about an hour, I’ll come get you. There’s going to be a special screening of the Capital Report. The Selected will be taking dinner in their rooms tonight and meeting the prince before breakfast tomorrow.” I nodded and followed her out of the room. The halls were long and winding, but we soon came to a private wing. There were names on the doors.

“Is this wing just for the Selected?” The maid seemed a little bit shocked, but quickly recovered.

“Yes, sir. The royal family have their own rooms on the second floor.” We reached the end of the hall and turned a corner. Four rooms were tucked in this back corner. The names on the other three doors were Lucas, Lotor, and Grant. I felt a little surge of relief at knowing that Grant would be close by. The maid left and I opened my door.  
Three men were cleaning an already spotless room. As I stepped in and shut the door behind me, they turned and noticed me. They walked up to me quickly.

“Hello, Sir Keith.” The tallest of them said. “I am Regris. This is Ulaz.” He gestured to his right, at a pale man with a light blond mohawk. “And this is Thace.” The man on his left gave a short bow. “We have been assigned to serve as your servants during your time here.” They stood attentively, waiting for a response. I shifted awkwardly on my feet.  
“Okay. I want to unwind before the Report so you can go.” Regris blinked before bowing quickly, the others following his lead.

“Of course, Sir Keith.” They quickly left the room. I sighed and looked around. The room was spacious, much bigger than my room at Shiro’s. There was a pair of French doors leading out to a small balcony. A large bed with red sheets was tucked in a corner. There was a small armoire full of the clothes I would be wearing while I was here.

I walked over and looked through the clothes. Everything was very formal, the least of which were khakis and polo shirts. I made a silent vow to wear those as much as I possibly could. I noticed my worn combat boots sitting in the bottom. They had been cleaned and repaired, but they were still the same old boots. I turned and noticed my bag sitting on my bed.

I ran over as fast as I could in the formal clothes I was wearing. I rifled through my bag for my new phone. Now was the perfect time to call and see how Shiro was doing. I pulled out the phone and turned it on. I sat on the bed and called Matt. It rang twice before Matt picked up.

“Hello, Keith?” Matt's voice was tired, but happy. I took it as a good sign that he had picked up.

“Hi, Matt. How’s it going back there?” I wasn't about to flat out ask him about Shiro. I could have seen something wrong back at the square. I could hear his sigh over the line.  
“The protest turned into a riot as you were leaving. The guards put it down, but not before Shiro got hit with a brick.” Even though I already knew about it, I couldn't stop myself from gasping when he confirmed it.

“Is he okay?” I asked.

“He’s okay. He got hit in the back when he was shielding me and Pidge. The doctor checked him out and he got a couple of stitches. He’ll probably have another scar, but he’ll live.”

“What about you guys? Are you okay?”

“We're fine. We just got splattered with tomatoes.” He laughed, the laugh dissolving into static over the phone. “This feels like it's never coming out of my hair.”

“Well, at least you didn't have to walk into the royal palace with a stain on your collar.” I retorted. Matt laughed again.

“That sucks. I look forward to seeing you on the Report tonight.” Matt said. I groaned and fell back on my bed.

“Don't remind me. Hey, can I talk to Shiro?”

“No, he’s sleeping off the drugs. Personally, I’m glad they dosed him so high. He needs the sleep.” A flash of worry jolted through me.

“I though he wasn't having night terrors anymore.” I said, sitting up.

“He isn't. He’s just stressed about the whole thing. He’s worried about you, Keith.” Matt’s voice was pained and I knew Shiro wasn't the only one worried about me.

“I’ll be fine. Make sure to tell him that I called so that he doesn't worry.”

“Of cour…” He cut off abruptly. I heard some scuffling and a new voice came on the line.

“Have you seen your boyfriend yet?” The new voice demanded.

“Hi, Pidge. No, I haven't seen the prince yet. What happened to Matt?”

“I tackled him and stole his phone.” She said. I sighed.

“You couldn't have asked politely like a normal person?”

“When have I ever been a normal person?” She replied. Before I could reply, I heard a knock on my bedroom door.

“I have to go, Pidge. Do me a favor and give Matt his phone back.” I terminated the call and tucked my phone back in my bag. The knock sounded again and I walked over to the door. I opened it to reveal a man standing there, his eyes frantic.

“Hide me!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I'm going to leave you on a cliffhanger. I know, I'm a bitch. There's another not-so-subtle reference in this chapter.  
> If you find it, I don't have anything for you. See above.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We figure out who has come to Keith's door. (Like you don't know who it is already.) Also other stuff happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back from vacation. I would love to say that I was productive and wrote a lot. That's a lie, I wrote one chapter which you are getting now. It's pretty random and Keith had two chance encounters. The second one ends badly. I wrote this really quick and it's probably bad. This entire fic has probably gone FUBAR. Oh well.

“Hide me!” He said before pushing his way past me. I stepped back and watched as he searched frantically for a place to hide. He turned and saw me standing by the still open door.

“What are you doing? Quick, close the door!” He hissed. I was struck by a sense of deja vu. I’ve seen him somewhere before, but I did as he said before striding up to him. 

“Why are you hiding?” He looked up at me, his expression panicked.

“Hide now, talk later!” He said, still scouring the room for a good hiding place. I sighed and walked over to my bed.

“Get under the bed, I’ll cover for you.” He nodded before scrambling under the bed. He had barely been hidden for a minute when a heavy knock sounded on the door. I walked over and opened it to a pair of guards.

“Sorry to bother you, Sir Keith. Have you seen Prince Alejandro? He gave his escort the slip and was last seen heading down this hallway.” I blinked. So that's why he looked familiar! Now the question is why is the prince hiding from the palace guards?

“No, I haven't seen anyone.” I replied, the lie slipping easily off my tongue.

“He must have doubled back. Sorry to bother you, sir.” They bowed before leaving. I closed the door and walked over to the bed. Prince Alejandro was halfway out from under the bed, having begun moving as soon as the doors closed.

“Phew, that was a close one.” He said.

“Of course, Prince Alejandro.” My tone was civil with an underlying layer of sarcasm. He froze.

“Please don't call me that.” He stood and offered his hand. “The name’s Lance.” He smiled, a cocksure smile. I refused his hand and crossed my arms.

“So tell me, Lance.” I said, his name dripping like venom off my tongue. “Why are you hiding from guards?” He laughed, high and bolting.

“Because I’m not supposed to be in this wing. I’m supposed to stay away from the Selected until tomorrow. How was I supposed to do that when there's 35 babes in my house?” He said, face never losing its smile.

“It's pretty easy. Just stay out of our wing.” I retorted, not putting up with any of his bullshit.

“But then I wouldn't have met you.” He said. I could feel myself blushing. Did, did he just flirt with me? I recovered quickly and shot back.

“Sure you would've. Tomorrow.” I glanced at the door. “You should go, they'll be coming to get me soon.” Lance’s smile faded a little at my words.

“Of course.” To my surprise, Lance didn't go to the door. He walked over to my armoire and shifted it aside to reveal a small door. He punched in a code and swung the door open. He started to walk through, but turned back.

“You’ll keep this quiet, right?” He asked. 

“What part, the secret door or the fact that you were in my room?” I said, smirking. Lance let out a huff.

“Both, duh.”

“Well, I look forward to meeting you tomorrow.” I said. He smiled.

“Same here.” With that he turned and left through the hidden passage. The door closed and locked behind him. I blushed when what had happened finally sunk in. The prince had flirted with me and I had flirted back. I felt like I was on cloud nine. Then I realized that I would have to move the armoire back in its place.

“Goddamnit, Lance.” I cursed. I moved the armoire back into place just in time. As soon as I was done, yet another knock came at the door. This time when I opened the door, it was a maid waiting for me.

“Follow me, Sir Keith.” She instructed. I nodded and followed her out into the hall, quietly shutting the door behind me. There were other young men and women, each following their own maid. I spotted Megan and gave her a short wave. She smiled and waved back.

We entered the same room that we had been made over in. The stations had all been cleared away, instead couches had been placed strategically. They all faced a large screen. Many people were already sitting and talking. I hurried to find a couch in the back that hadn't been claimed.

I sat down and sighed. My feet were killing me. You’d think shoes that cost more than everything you own would be comfortable, but no. I was alone for all of two minutes before a pair of men came over.

“Can we sit here?” One of them asked. 

“Sure.” I moved over to make room for them. They sat down and looked at me. 

“Hello, I’m Lucas.” He had blue eyes and light brown hair.

“And I’m Antonio.” His friend chimed in. Antonio had dark hair and stunning green eyes.

“Sorry for bugging you, but they only set up so many couches.” Lucas explained. I waved my hands awkwardly.

“Oh, no, it’s fine. It’s nice to meet other Selected.” I lied.

“We think so too.” Antonio chimed in. “What's your name?”

“Oh, I’m Keith.”

“What do you do, Keith?” Antonio asked.

“Was that an attempt at subtly asking what his caste is?” Lucas said to Antonio.

“Maybe?” Antonio said sheepishly. Lucas facepalmed.

“Sorry, Keith.” Lucas apologized.

“It’s fine, you guys.” I said. “I’m a Seven, I work in construction.” Their faces had similar shocked expressions, but Antonio quickly smiled.

“Cool. I’m a Five and Lucas here is a Six.” He said. “We’ve gotta stick together, us against those rich bitches.” I laughed halfheartedly. What would he think if he knew I was practically a Two? I never got a chance to find out, because a man stepped up and called for silence.

“I would like to personally welcome you all to the royal palace of Illéa.” He said, his voice not matching his cheerful words. Despite that, we all clapped and I heard a few whoops from some of the other men.

“I am Kolivan and I will be overseeing you during your time here. You will all be meeting the prince tomorrow.” There were more cheers and several wolf whistles, Antonio and Lucas among them.

“For now, just sit back and enjoy the special streaming of the Capital Report.” He stepped out of the way and two servants wheeled a screen into place. The Illéan crest flashed on the screen before footage of the Selected began playing. If I’m being honest, I wasn't paying much attention until it got to the part about my group. I'm sure it was interesting, but no one else's crowd had the same reaction as mine. One guy, this Two from Angeles, had an entourage of screaming girls and guys. I bet no one even though about calling him a fag.

I blinked as my face appeared on the screen. They showed me hugging Shiro then immediately cut to Megan’s party. I scowled and started fiddling with my sleeve. The monarchy obviously didn't want to give the impression that they had any haters. When the Report continued to focus on Michael and Megan, I stood and left. I could feel Antonio and Lucas staring at me, but I didn't care.

The hallway was quiet and my shoes made heavy thuds on the tile. Guards eyed me, but did nothing to stop me. I made my way up a flight of stairs. Now in the Selected wing, I noticed someone standing by my door.

“Hey!” I called. He spun around and I rolled my eyes. “Don't you have anything better to do than block my door?” I demanded, Lance just smiled.

“This isn't your door. Technically it's mine.”

“Well since you’ve been so generous in letting me stay here, I think you can afford to let me have a door.”

“So you're telling me your name is Akira? Doesn't really suit you.” Lance commented, running his fingers along the nameplate. That was the last straw. I’ve always had a short temper and he just crossed the line.

“You’d have to take that up with my parents. Which is kinda difficult, considering they're dead.” I snapped. Lance blinked.

“I’m sorry-”

“No, you're not. You don't have any reason to be sorry. You’ve lived a life of privilege and never wanted for anything. You stay here in your perfect palace, your gilded cage. You think it's fun to tease a man who's seen things that you will never have to deal with.” I strode up to him and put a finger on his chest.

“The things I’ve seen? They’ve changed me. I’m jaded and cynical and all alone. So when you and your family change the story, hide my suffering and hide me in the process, I get pissed.” I was getting louder, my voice cracking. Lance stood still, absorbing every word. He started to speak.

“Akira.”

“DON’T CALL ME THAT!” I screamed. He stumbled backward, away from my door. I blinked away the tears that I just realized were running down my face. I took in what I had done and I broke.

“I’m sorry.” I whispered before running into my room. My servants were cleaning the room when I came in.

“Sir Keith? Is everything alright?” Regris asked. 

“Get out.” I whispered.

“Sir-.”

“GET OUT!” I yelled, one hand pointing roughly at the door. I heard footsteps, the door opening, and the door slamming shut. I sank onto my knees, sobbing. I could feel my makeup smearing, like I gave a damn. 

I had just yelled at Prince Alejandro. The man I was here to compete for. That was definitely over. Hopefully, that would be the extent of the repercussions. I pulled myself together enough to make it up onto the bed. I lay there for God knows how long, wallowing in my mistakes and dreading the inevitable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have three ideas that I might want to do for other fics. I have a Keith is part ghost after attempting suicide, a Spirit Animals AU, and a assassin's guild type thing. I would love to hear your opinion on which I should do. No pressure, of course. It doesn't really matter if you're just here for the story.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grant is adorable and I love him. Nuff said. And thanks for 100 kudos!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for all the stuff I fucked up. Next chapter will have Hunk and will be out by or on his birthday.

When I finally pulled myself out of my pitiful state of wallowing, I noticed that the sun had set. I slipped off the shoes and padded around my room in just my socks. I walked over to a mirror hanging on the wall that I hadn’t noticed before. My face was a mess, my eyes red and blotchy from crying. My makeup was smeared and my shirt was rumpled. 

I made my way into the bathroom to clean up. I washed the makeup off my face before starting to fill up the enormous bathtub. The steam of the hot water started to fill the room and I felt better. If I was going to leave, I might as well enjoy the luxury while I can. I undid the chain and set my tags on the counter.

I stripped and sunk beneath the water. I could feel my muscles relaxing and my mind clearing. I pulled my hair loose from the braid and ran my fingers through it. It was the cleanest I’ve ever felt it. I just sat in the tub for awhile, not attempting to really clean myself. I heard my outer door open and close and I grew paranoid. I clambered out of the tub and wrapped myself in a robe that was hanging from a hook. I grabbed the tags and hooked them back around my neck. I let the bathwater out and made sure the robe was tied tight before stepping out into my main room.

Luckily, no one was in it. A tray with a cloche-covered plate and a note sat on my bed. I unfolded the note and read it. “Sir Keith, here is your dinner. You will be meeting with the prince before taking breakfast tomorrow. If you require assistance tonight, simply place this note outside your door. We will come in the morning to prepare you to meet the prince.”- Regris, Thace, Ulaz. I laughed and tossed the note onto the floor. I was surprised that I hadn’t been ejected from the palace already. I uncovered the plate and winced at the blast of steam.

A perfectly cooked steak sat on a bed of grilled vegetables. It looked delicious. I didn’t touch it. I put the cloche back on the plate and picked up the tray. I set the tray by the door and walked over to my armoire. I opened the armoire and grabbed a pair of boxers. I slipped them on and looked around for my bag. It was sitting on the floor by the foot of the bed. I pulled out my black pants and grey shirt. If they did come throw me out, I wasn’t about to let them take me in my pajamas. I untied my robe and slipped on my old clothes.

Already feeling more at home, I climbed into bed. I had to say, the bed was exquisite. Despite my worries, I drifted off into a light sleep.

I awoke when the sun rose. It was an old habit from when I had the early shift. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and crawled out of the covers. I sat on the edge of the bed, swinging my legs and haphazardly running my fingers through my hair. As I contemplated my next move, there was a knock at the door.

“Sir Keith, are you decent?” Regris called from outside. Probably here to inform me that I broke some law by yelling at the prince. I thought it through. I had no reason to lie. I would get what was coming to me.

“Yes.” I called back, tensing unconsciously. I expected armed guards. To my surprise, only my servants entered.

“Good morning, Sir Keith.” Regris said cheerfully, Thace and Ulaz trailing him. Thace was carrying a garment bag. I eyed it nervously.

“Mornin’, y’all.” I said, my old accent slipping out. It happens when I’m nervous and this morning was no exception.

“You will be meeting Prince Alejandro in an hour. Breakfast will be served immediately after.” Regris explained nonchalantly, like I hadn’t yelled at him the last time I saw him. I scraped my foot on the ground nervously.

“I’m sorry for yelling at you last night.” I apologized. They exchanged glances.

“That’s nothing to worry about, Sir Keith.” Thace said. 

“What we need to worry about is getting you ready for the prince.” Ulaz chimed in. They seemed to be skirting around the issue. It was probably a product of their training. They weren't used to serving someone who had grown up lower in the castes than them.

“Yes, of course, you’re right.” I said quickly. I didn’t want to offend them. Ulaz glanced at the garment bag. Thace noticed his glance and took a hint.

“We have a special outfit for you, Sir Keith.” Thace said. “Of course, you don’t have to wear it, but…” He opened a bag and pulled out an outfit similar to the one I had worn yesterday. A red long-sleeved shirt with a gray vest and black pants. However, this one had a black skirt, short in the front and long in the back. It was actually really cute.

“You can always wear something else if it isn’t your type.” Regris quickly chimed in.

“No no, I like it.” I admitted. Thace smiled and handed to me.

“Go change and then we can do shoes, hair, jewelry, and makeup.” Ulaz said cheerfully and clapped his hands together. I stifled a groan and walked off to the bathroom.  
Locking the door behind me, I quickly changed into the outfit, tucking the chain under the collar.. I looked at myself in the full-length mirror. It was ridiculous. There was a good foot of glass above my head. I could just imagine Pidge’s reflection. It would barely reach two-thirds of the way up.

I don’t like to admit it, but I missed the little gremlin. And Matt and my brother. I hadn’t even been gone for 24 hours and the homesickness was hitting me hard. I was snapped out of my malaise when a knock came at the door.

“Are you alright in there, Sir Keith?” Regris’s voice rang out. I was tempted to say no and hope that they would leave me alone. Instead I moved towards the door.  
“I’m fine.” I said as I opened the door. Regris led me to a stool and had me sit down.

“We have two options for shoes.” Ulaz said holding them out for me to see. The first pair were identical to the ones I had worn yesterday. The second were a pair of black heels. They were short heels, maybe one or two inches. I didn’t normally wear heels, but Matt had a pair or two for when he and Shiro went out clubbing. They suited Matt and I bet they would suit me too.

“I’ll take the heels.” I said quickly.

“Of course, Sir Keith.” Ulaz said and handed them to me. As I slipped them on, he explained that they were called kitten heels. Shiro did always say that I must have been a cat in a past life. They were perfect for me.

As Thace braided my hair, Regris started showing me jewelry options. I picked out a black choker with a red gem hanging from it. I also took a thick silver cuff and clasped it onto my right wrist. I opted against dangly earrings, instead pulling out the black studs I brought with me. I caught Ulaz rolling his eyes, but he acted like it had never happened.

“All done.” Thace said after securing the braid. I turned to look in the mirror. I didn’t have any makeup on yet, but I could swear that I looked better than yesterday. Regris checked his watch and let out a small gasp.

“Apologies, Sir Keith, but we’re running late. We don’t have time for makeup if we want to make it on time.” He said quickly and carefully. He seemed to be expecting a reaction, but I simply stood up.

“No problem.” I said. I took a step and almost fell over. How do girls wear heels on a daily basis? “Whoa, I have to get used to these.” I joked. Regris blinked, confused by my non reaction. He quickly caught hold of his wits and took charge.

“Then you should go now. You will be meeting in the same room as yesterday. Do you need one of us to escort you?” He asked. I shook my head.

“No, I’ve got it. Thank you.” I replied. I turned and left. As I stepped out of my room, someone else stepped out of theirs. He was resplendent in a suit of green and to my surprise, I recognized him. Before I could speak, he chimed in.

“Keith? Is that you?” Before I could speak, I found myself wrapped in a bear hug.

“Hey, Grant.” I squeaked, my lungs crushed by the force of his hug. He let go and stepped back, his hands still resting on my shoulders.

“I missed you, bro.” He said playfully. “And look at you.” He gestured vaguely at me. “You got hot! There must be something in the water in Carolina.” I blushed, but shot back quickly.

“You didn’t turn out so bad yourself. And we’re both here to win the love of Illéa’s most eligible bachelor.” I pointed out. He let out a whoop.

“Let’s go get him then.” He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and started pushing me down the hall. I’m wearing heels. That worked about as well as you would imagine. I hit the marble floor with a thud. Grant knelt beside me.

“Fuck!” I said simply. My wrists felt like shattered candy canes.

“Are you ok, bro? What happened?” I raised a leg.

“I’m wearing heels, Grant.” I said, rolling onto my back and sitting up. Grant stood then offered me his hand. I reached up and he grabbed my right wrist so tight I yelped. He panicked and let go. Flat on the ground for the second time in as many minutes, I started to regret my life. This time I offered my left hand, which hurt less, and I made it to my feet successfully.

“I’m so sorry, dude. I like the heels though.” He said perkily. I sighed and we started walking again. That was Grant, alright. He hadn’t changed since we were kids. I rubbed my wrists as we walked down the stairs. I wasn’t exaggerating about my wrists. They hurt like a son-of-a-bitch. I’d have to see if there was someone in this big ass palace who could check them out.

We walked into the room and I swear the entire room was staring at us. I glanced at the front of the room. Kolivan was standing there next to-oh fuck-Prince Alejandro. A big Samoan man stood behind him, probably his escort.

“Ah I see our stragglers have arrived. Take a seat next to Lady Eliza and we can continue.” Kolivan stated. I blushed and I’m sure Grant was blushing too. We quickly sat down and Eliza glanced at me.

“I like the heels, Keith.” She whispered.

“Thanks.” I whispered back, my eyes never leaving Lance. He seemed almost bored, scanning the crowd. He looked at me and we made eye contact. I saw guilt? in his eyes before he quickly glanced away.

“Now that we are all here.” Kolivan said with a glare at Grant and I. “It is my pleasure to introduce Prince Alejandro.” A light smattering of applause broke out as Kolivan stepped back and Lance stepped forward.

“Good morning everyone. I hope to get to know each and every one of you eventually. Today, I will be talking with each of you individually. Let’s get started so that we can eat before noon.” He finger-gunned and a light giggle sprang up from the Selected. Lance walked up to a girl in the first row, I think her name was Cairo, and led her to a pair of couches far enough away that we couldn’t hear their conversation.

I shifted to let Grant sit next to Eliza. I sat on the end of the couch and sulked. We were sitting in the back so Lance wouldn’t get to us until the end. Eliza and Grant were chatting happily and I felt a twinge of envy. Even among like minded people, I still managed to ostracize myself. I scanned the crowd and found myself recognizing only a few faces. I should have Pidge give me details on the Selected.

I followed that train of thought for awhile. I felt Eliza leave and return, Grant following her lead. I just stared at the perfectly polished floor and anxiously rubbed my wrists. I felt a tap on my shoulder and looked up into stunning blue eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yell at me in the comments about how badly I fucked up. If you want, you can be nice, but I don't really care.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Lance have a real conversation and Keith talks to Shiro and Pidge. Also elimination. And Hunk actually exists in this chapter. I know computers don't exist in Illea, but fight me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday to Hunk! I will probably be updating less frequently thanks to school being back in full force. I also need time to work on my original novel. Enjoy the chapter!

“Hello.” Prince Alejandro said. He offered me a hand. “Care to join me?” No.

“Of course.” I said, with a shaky smile. I took his hand and stood up. His hand was warm and soft, so unlike my rough, calloused hands. Letting go, I followed him back to the couches. The Samoan man I had noticed before was standing behind one of the couches. Lance sat on that couch and I sat opposite him. I couldn’t stop myself from fidgeting with the heavy silver cuff on my wrist. He noticed my movements and smiled reassuringly.

“So I heard you go by Keith.” He said, trying to break the ice. “Is that right?” 

“Yes, Your Highness.” I didn’t meet his eyes.

“I’d like it if you called me Lance.”

“Of course, Prince Lance.” I looked up just in time to see his face twitch.

“So Keith, I’d like to introduce you to my friend here.” Lance said, gesturing to the man standing behind him.

“Technically, I’m the prince’s escort.” The man explained.

“Well, he’s the closest friend I’ve got.” Lance amended. “His name is Hunk and unfortunately he has to follow us everywhere. Cons of being a major royal political figure.” I nodded. Paid royal babysitter, cool. Not the weirdest thing that had happened in the past 48 hours. Now that I was thinking about it…

“I’m sorry about last night, Your Highness.” I said quietly. Lance blinked and then regained control.

“It’s fine, Keith. No harm, no foul.” He quickly changed the subject. “So why don’t you tell me about yourself? Any siblings?” I sighed a little. Somehow the conversation always ends up on Shiro. Oh well.

“I have an older brother, Shiro.” I said, hoping they wouldn’t realize it was-

“Like Takashi Shirogane? That Shiro?” Lance asked eagerly. I sighed a little louder.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“He’s awesome!” Lance squealed in a very unprincelike manner. My heart sunk. I love my brother, but so does everyone else. I’m just the adopted kid brother with a temper. “I remember when he came to the palace.” Bet he didn’t remember me. He looked back at Hunk. “You were there too, right?” 

“Yes, sir.”

“We were 13 or 14 and he was amazing. Strong, brave, and so handsome.” Lance looked over and saw my crestfallen face. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry. We’re here to talk about you and here I am saying how hot your brother is.” He winked and finger gunned. “At least, I know it’s genetic.” He flirted.

“I’m adopted.” I said quickly. Now it was Lance’s turn to be shocked.

“Really? You look so similar. And isn’t Akira a Japanese name?” I nodded.

“Technically. I’m half-Korean, but my mom picked out my name.” I felt a twinge in my chest when I mentioned her. “Shiro likes to go around claiming that we’re actual brothers even though I kept my last name. Matt always gets a kick out of it.”

“Who’s Matt?” Hunk asked. Lance and I answered at the same time.

“Shiro’s husband.”

“His brother’s husband.” 

We turned to each other and laughed. “Either you recently researched my brother or you have an excellent recall.” I said. “Their wedding was pretty small and Matt never really liked the attention Shiro got.”

“I did research last night on what happened in Carolina.” Lance admitted. “It was all caught on camera. I’m sorry if I was being insensitive last night. And I’m sorry that they weren’t honest.” I wasn’t expecting such a heartfelt apology.

“It’s alright. I should have guessed that they wouldn’t want to link the Selection to any civil unrest.” I said, glad that this whole thing had been figured out. Now I can focus on getting to know the gorgeous man in front of me. Before I could ask him a question, Hunk cleared his throat.

“Not to be rude, but there are 34 people in this room who want breakfast. I suggest we finish up before there’s a riot.” I heard Lance’s stomach growl.

“Make that 36.” I joked before standing.

“It was nice to meet you, Keith.” Lance said before standing as well.

“You too.” I replied before walking back to my seat. Grant was fidgeting in his seat. I sat down and he pounced.

“He’s the hottest guy you’ve ever seen, right?” Grant said. I laughed.

“We’ve met him for five minutes, Grant. I think we can calm down a little.” I said. Eliza frowned.

“I don’t think he liked me that much. He seemed kind of distant.” She worried.

“That’s strange. We clicked right away.” Grant said before wrapping an arm around Eliza’s shoulders. “Don’t worry. He’s been talking for hours. He’s probably just trying to process everything.” There was the chime of a bell and Lance called for attention.

“You can all go to breakfast now. Follow Kolivan unless I asked you to stay behind.” A murmur sprang up from the crowd at his words. Who had been asked to stay behind? As I stood to leave, I got my answer.

Eliza. Spencer. A boy I recognized as Adrien. Cairo. Another boy who I didn’t recognize. Eliza looked nervous and she caught my eye. I smiled at here before filing through to the dining room. 

The king and queen were sitting at a high table and I bowed. To my surprise, only a couple of the others bowed. Kolivan turned back and frowned.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the proper thing to do when you enter a room with a royal in it is to bow.” The others corrected their mistake and King Evan stood up.

“Welcome to the palace. You may be seated and begin eating. I know my son kept you longer than he should have.” There was a light chuckle at that and people moved to their places. The seats were labeled and I ended up next to two girls, Allura and Peyton, and across from a guy named Dean. Trays were laid out in front of us, but before I could uncover mine, Lance and Hunk walked in. We started to stand, but he gestured not to.

“Please, sit and enjoy your breakfast.” He sat at the high table next to his mother and Hunk stood behind them. I looked back at the door expecting the others to come through. No one came.

“They’re gone.” Allura said quietly.

“He kicked out five people on the first day?” Peyton worried. I was a little worried, but I was too hungry to care. I uncovered my tray and…

“Is this pie?” I said aloud, surprised at what was on my plate. Dean perked up and uncovered his tray. The girls followed suit. Everyone had a small pie. Everyone was confused.

“Aw yeah, I love pie!” Before Dean could eat any, waiters came and picked the trays up. King Evan stood up again.

“Sorry for the confusion, ladies and gentlemen. Give us a moment and we’ll have your real breakfast out right away.” He explained. The general consensus was confused, but okay. Dean was full on moping.

“I never get any pie.” He complained. I exchanged a glance with Peyton and we stifled our giggles. After we got our real breakfast, I ate quickly. I wanted to go back up to my room and call Shiro. I did look up at the high table. Lance was laughing and joking with Hunk and Queen Alessandra. He didn’t look like he had just kicked out two of the people I had bonded with. He noticed me staring and grinned. I blushed and excused myself quickly.

Back in my room, I pulled out my phone and called Shiro. He picked up almost immediately.

“Keith?” I let out a small sigh of relief. His voice was strong, clear, and familiar. Three things I needed from him just now.

“Hi, Shiro. How are you feeling?”

“Like a truck ran over my head. I think they overdid it with the drugs. Did you meet the prince yet?” 

“Yes. About an hour ago, before breakfast.”

“Was he nice? Was he as attractive in person as on the Report?” I laughed.

“He was okay. He was excited when he found out you were my brother. He thinks you’re hot and then tried to flirt by saying we had good genetics.” I could hear Shiro laughing over the line.

“Oh man, I wish I could have seen his face when you told him you were adopted.”

“It was great. I could see him thinking ‘Oh fuck, I fucked up’.”

“Language, Keith.”

“Ok, Dad. There was an elimination. He sent five people home.”

“Really? On the first day? You should tell Pidge. Oh wait, she just got home.” I heard some shuffling and muffled Shiro yelling. Then Pidge’s voice came on the line.

“Tell me everything.” I smiled. That was Pidge. She probably had a betting pool.

“He sent five people home. Eliza, Spencer, Adrien, Cairo, and some other boy whose name I don’t know.”

“What’d he look like?”

“Tall with red hair and freckles.” I heard some keyboard clicking.

“That would be Brock Avery of Hansport, Seven. Keith, you’re the only Seven left.”

“Wow. That’s startling. Hey, could you send me the files on the Selected? I feel like I need to know the people I’m competing against.”

“Sure.” I felt the phone buzz. “I have to go, Keith. Do me a favor and go get some!” Before I could respond, she hung up. I sighed and pulled the phone away from my ear. Time to see what I’m up against.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come yell at me in the comments


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More super slow burn romance cause I can't write feelings for shit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on a sort of hiatus. I'm not going to go out of my way to work on this, so I guess it's on the back burner. Anyway, please enjoy my jokes and talk to me in the comments. I don't have enough friends so I have to resort to internet land. Not saying you guys aren't great. Because you are great.

Snickering slightly at Pidge’s last comments, I opened the new files. They were sorted by province and I noticed that the dismissed candidates’ files were pulsing a steady red while the others glowed a steady green. Before I could pick a file, the phone buzzed with a message from Pidge.

 

>> It’s set so you can adjust the files as people go home. Don’t forget to keep us updated or I will make this phone blast an airhorn whenever I please. Middle of the night, halfway through a makeout session with His Royal Highness. Don’t forget.

<< Jesus, Pidge. How would you even know if I was with the prince?

>> I have my ways

 

I shuddered before making my way back to the files. Who do I pick first? I noticed the Angeles candidate, Lotor Daibazaal. He was the only one of my “roommates” that I hadn't ran into yet. With my mind made up, I tapped on his file.

The first thing to pop up was his picture. He looked tall, although it was hard to tell from the picture. He had platinum-blond hair that looked natural, unlike Allura's obviously dyed silvery-white hair. He looked...experienced and his smile was perfectly crafted. This guy was here to play.

I scrolled down and saw some basic stats. At twenty, he was one of the oldest in the competition. He was a natural Two and was a model by trade. I noted with a tinge of satisfaction that he only spoke two languages, English and Russian, to my four. He would be a stiff opponent.

I backed out of the file and scanned the list again. I noticed a filter and set it to give me a list of girls. It would be just my luck to piss off some girl because I didn't know who they were. I had gotten enough shit from Pidge to not underestimate girls.

I picked one, Shay Balmera, and opened her file. She was pretty with copper colored skin and short black hair. She was from Calgary and used to be a Six. She was a tailor’s apprentice. Her smile was genuine and pure.

There was a knock on the door and I set my phone on the bedside table. My servants came in and Ulaz walked over to me.

“Sir Keith, there you are. Prince Alejandro has called a meeting of the Selected in the common room.” I cocked my head and Ulaz explained further. “The common room is the room you’ve gathered in before. They used to use the Women's Room to gather the Selected. Due to this Selection being co-ed, they had to find a different location and I’m afraid there isn't exactly a cool name for it.” I nodded.

“Are they meeting now?” I asked, anxious about being late again.

“In ten minutes.” I nodded and brushed off my skirt.

“Thank you for telling me. I’ll go now.” I said before leaving the room. 

My heels clicked on the marble tiles as I walked back to the room. I heard a guitar and it only grew louder as I got closer. I walked inside and I was surprised to find that I was the only Selected there. Prince Lance was sitting on a couch, playing the guitar that I had heard. Hunk was standing behind the couch. He noticed me and gave me a slight nod. Lance didn't look up as I walked closer and I cleared my throat. The music cut off with a sour note as he moved to dampen the strings.

“Ah, Sir Keith.” He coughed and handed the guitar to Hunk. “I didn't hear you come in.” Hunk set the guitar on a stand.

“It's fine. I didn't mean to startle you.” I said. Lance stood and I started looking around the room. “So what gives? Where's everybody else?” Before Lance could say anything, the doors opened again. Two girls walked in. Shay and another girl that I didn't recognize. They made their way over to us. I noticed that Shay’s eyes flickered onto Hunk before looking back at Lance.

“Lady Shay and Lady-, I’m sorry, I seem to have forgotten your name.” Lance said and flashed his dazzling smile. The girl smiled back.

“It's Jacqueline, but you can call me Jacqui.” She replied. She had long straight black hair that reached all the way to the small of her back.

“Okay, Lady Jacqui. We're just waiting for three more.” He looked back at me and smiled.

“In case you haven't met, this is Sir Keith.” He said, suddenly putting me on the spot. I nodded and was glad that no one commented on the skirt. The door opened again and a boy and another girl walked through. As they got closer, I noticed that they were both brunette/brunet.

“Lady Harmony and Sir Desmond, I’m happy to see you.” Lance said. He checked his watch, a fancy silver thing, and shook his head. “You actually made it here on time. Always a plus in my book.”

“Of course, Your Highness.” Desmond purred. “Who would dare to be late to a meeting with the prince?” The door swung open for the last time and Lotor strode in. I noted that I was right about his height. He towered over Lance by three or four inches and Lance was about two inches taller than me. The end result was about half a foot of intimidation. He reached us and Lance frowned.

“You’re late.” He said, more as a reminder than a reprimand. Lotor smiled and I felt a sense of unease. Something wasn’t quite right with this guy.

“I’m very sorry, Prince Alejandro.” Lotor said, rolling the r. I felt a twinge of satisfaction that Lance hadn’t told Lotor to call him Lance yet. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“No offence taken, Sir Lotor.” Lance put his hands on his hips and smiled. “You know what we should do?” We collectively shook our heads no. “We should do away with the titles.”

“Excuse me?” Desmond said rather abruptly. I caught Lance frowning at him for a second before snapping back into a smile.

“I mean, think about it. I’m here to find a romantic partner. How are we supposed to bond if you have to call me ‘Prince’ or ‘Your Highness’.” Lance said, grinning wildly. There was a murmur of agreement.

“So what should we call you?” Harmony asked.

“Lance.” He said. The others looked confused and I smiled. It felt nice being the first one that knew his nickname. He clapped his hands together.

“So let's get on with it, shall we?” Lance said. “I’m taking everyone on smaller group dates throughout the day. I figured this would be a good way to get to know all of you better.” To my surprise, I found myself speaking up.

“What are we doing?” I felt six pairs of eyes train on me. I looked up and met Lance’s gaze. They say eyes are the windows to the soul. His eyes carried a hint of worry, but mainly joy and...was that attraction?

“Good question.” He said, calmly breaking our gaze before I could read his expression fully. “I figured that we could go outside and talk a bit while enjoying this gorgeous day.”

“That’s a great idea, Lance.” Shay spoke up. I felt a bit of tension diffuse at her use of Lance’s name. Lance smiled at her. 

“Ok then. Let’s go, slowpokes!” He said as he started walking away. Hunk was right behind him. We hurried to follow him and fell into step. Lotor and Desmond were flanking Lance like the kiss-asses they are. Shay had found herself next to Hunk and Jacqui and Harmony were getting along fine. I found myself at the back of the pack. It was almost like they had ranked themselves on how we stood with the prince. Honestly, I’d have to say that they were right.

I was definitely last. I’ve seen the prince more than them, but I wasn’t anything special. Everyone else had grown up in a higher caste than me. Even Shay seemed less out of place than I did. I watched as Lance laughed at a joke Desmond told. I felt a little pit of anger build in my stomach. I took a deep breath as we walked outside. Time to fake it ‘till I make it. Or until I break. Either one works.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kindergarten circle time, stuff I didn't write cause I'm lazy, and the opposite of innocence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to a lovely comment by Lunar_Wings, I was inspired to pick this story back up again at least for a chapter. I made a couple of changes in previous chapters. I changed Lotor's last name and I changed Lance's sister's name to fit the canon. In doing so, I made an unintentional Heathers reference. Enjoy, I guess. Sorry that it's short, I'm not too motivated yet.

A pair of guards opened the massive silver doors and the hall was flooded with sunlight. The air was warm and the sun was just peeking out from behind a white cloud. We headed out into the massive grounds. I was astounded by the amount of greenery, all perfectly trimmed and maintained. Lance was leading us through the trees and we soon came upon a small clearing, littered with large gray boulders. To my surprise, Lance sat on the biggest and gestured for us to join him.

“Have a seat.” He said, gesturing at the half dozen other boulders. I sat down quickly at the boulder to his left, Hunk taking the boulder on his right. Shay was only a little bit slower to grab a seat, accustomed to farm work and nature. The others were of higher castes and more uncomfortable with the prospect of getting dirty. Harmony and Jacqui took seats next to me, leaving Lotor and Desmond across the circle. Once everyone was seated, albeit awkwardly, Lance clapped his hands together and smiled.

“I know it’s a little unconventional, but I always loved the palace grounds.” He looked around and seemed to smirk a little at the way people were sitting. “Now, I figured we could go around the circle and tell everyone a little bit about yourselves.” I blinked. Was he serious? I had a sudden feeling of nostalgia for grade school. He started talking again.

“I’ll go first. My name is Alejandro “Lance” McClain and I’m a One, but you already knew that.” That earned a couple of giggles from the girls. “I’m a Leo and I am a proud bisexual. Alright, Keith,” I was surprised to hear him say my name. “You go next.” I suddenly felt a half dozen pairs of eyes focus on me. I froze and didn’t say anything. Harmony took pity on me.

“If it’s okay with you, Keith, do you mind if I go first?” She said politely. I nodded and she launched into her explanation. “I’m Harmony Victor from Dakota, and I was a Five. My focus was music and I am straight.” She finished similar to Lance with her sexuality. Lance nodded and directed his gaze onto Jacqui. She took that a cue to begin speaking.

“My name is Jacqueline Daniels and I’m from Sonage. My caste is Two and I am also straight.” The other speeches were similar.

“My name is Desmond Thorne of Lakedon and I’m a Three. I am bisexual.”

“My name is Lotor Daibazaal of Angeles and I am a Two. I am pansexual.”

“I’m Shay Balmera and I come from Calgary. I was a Six and I’m pansexual.” Before I had a chance to start, Lance cut me off and gestured to Hunk.

“You’re going to see Hunk a lot, so why not get to know him?” Lance said as way of an explanation. Everyone nodded in agreement, some reluctantly. Hunk nodded as well and started talking.

“Well, my name is Hunk Garrett and I’m a Six. I was born and raised in the palace alongside our beloved prince.” He cut a quick glance at Lance before cutting off. Lance turned his gaze on me. I took a deep breath before starting.

“I’m Akira “Keith” Kogane and I was a Seven. I was originally from Sumner, but I moved to Carolina when I was 12. I’m gay.” I roughly added to the end. Lance took control and talked for about an hour more. After that, we stood up and walked back inside. Surprisingly, I ended up next to Lance this time. I couldn’t look at him without blushing, so he spent the time talking to Harmony.

We all split apart as soon as we got inside. I scaled the stairs, firmly regretting the heels at this point. When I reached the top, I pulled the heels off and carried them by the straps. My approach to my room was muffled, so my servants weren’t alerted to my arrival. That wasn’t a good thing.

I opened the door to find Ulaz and Thace locked in a passionate embrace. I wasn’t surprised, I could sense the companionship the moment I met them. I cleared my throat and they broke apart.

“Sir Keith!” Ulaz squeaked, his face growing red. Thace took the more direct approach, grabbing Ulaz’s wrist and hauling him out of there. I stepped aside and laughed a little before closing the door. I walked over to the bed and sat down. I had made it through today fairly well.

I was about to go and see if the castle had a gym when I heard a knocking from behind the armoire.

“Hey mullet, you gonna let me in?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a Tumblr now: @shejustcalledmeafish
> 
> Come yell at me about Voltron or Supernatural or crap like that.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm probably moving this too fast, but here we go!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Too tired to do good notes, on with the gay

I froze when the voice floated out from behind the armoire. I knew who it was, but what I couldn't understand was why.

“Are you just going to leave the man in charge of your fate standing awkwardly behind an armoire?” He said, then paused for a moment. “Or are you not there and I’m just talking to thin air?”

“I’m here, Your Highness.” I said quickly. I walked over to the armoire and started shoving. It was just as heavy as I had remembered. When I had it out of the way, I banged on the door and Lance swung it open.

“It’s razzle-dazzle time!” Lance said excitedly, darting through the opening and jumping toward my bed. He misjudged the distance and hit the floor hard. I choked back a laugh before walking over to where he lie.

“Are you okay, Your Highness?” I said, unsure if I should use his name or if that was too intimate. 

“I’m fine, Keith.” He said, standing up and brushing off his expensive clothes. I noticed that they weren’t the same as earlier. He had traded in the suit for a nice pair of khakis and a white polo. Even so, he still looked like a prince, his upbringing evident in almost every move. I had to admit, I hadn’t expected him to try to belly flop on my bed.

“What are you doing here, Your Highness?” I asked, my left hand toying with the silver cuff on my right wrist. He smiled and took a seat on my bed before gesturing for me to do the same. I sat down then looked at him expectantly.

“First of all, call me Lance.” I blushed and hoped it wasn’t too visible. “Second of all, I wanted to talk with you. You barely said anything when we were outside.” I felt my blush deepen.

“I’m sorry, Your-Lance. I don’t handle being around strangers well.” I admitted.

“And yet here you are, talking with a stranger.” Lance pointed out. My hands continued to worry at the cuff, the tips of my fingers finding the clasp.

“You aren’t a stranger. Hell, I yelled at you and you still sought me out. I’m still not sure why.” I looked up and into his eyes. “I totally overreacted. You didn’t know, you weren’t trying to hurt me. I just tend to push people away.” My voice had grown softer, barely more than a whisper. 

“Really? Then why are you here?” He asked. It was a fair question, although one I didn’t want to answer.

“My brother bribed me. He knew I wouldn’t aim any higher than where I was, so he was trying to help me.” I let out a sigh. “I guess I have some walls up.” Suddenly the cuff fell off of my wrist and onto the ground. I got off the bed and knelt to pick it up. I looked up and into Lance’s crystal blue eyes. I didn’t move and neither did he. After what felt like forever, he reached a hand down and cupped my chin. His touch felt good and I fought my instinct to get closer.

“Keith.” I was surprised at the raw passion in the way he said my name. It sent shivers down my spine. I was tempted to give into my instinct and fling myself onto him, but I held on. “I’m sorry.” Then he did something that surprised me. He leaned in and our lips met. The kiss only lasted a moment, but it left me speechless and longing for more.

I fumbled the silver cuff back on my wrist and stood up. Lance stood as well, his eyes scanning my face, looking for a reaction.

“That was…” I hesitated, looking for the right words to describe what had just occurred.

“Amazing.” Lance breathed. He stepped closer to me and put his hands around my waist. When I didn’t immediately back away, he smiled. “I thought that maybe I was rushing it, but that felt great.” I smiled as well.

“This feels like a dream.” I admitted. “It feels like I’m going to wake up and I’ll be alone.” Lance shifted his position, dropping his hands from my waist. He lifted one of my hands and kissed it.

“If it’s a dream, then I pray to God that you never wake up.” He said smoothly. I could feel myself blushing yet again. Pull it together, Keith, or you’ll lose him. So that’s what I did. I took the lead this time and stepped into him. I leaned my head in and our lips met for the second time in as many minutes. This time when I pulled back, I took his hand in mine. When I moved towards the balcony, he followed me.

I let go of his hand to open the balcony doors. More time had slipped by than I had thought, the sky was ablaze with color as the sun sank beneath the horizon. I stepped out and the wind whipped through my fancy, but not meant for foul weather, clothes. I let out an involuntary shudder and rubbed my arms.

“I thought Angeles was warm all the time.” I complained. I heard Lance’s beautiful laugh behind me.

“Once the sun starts to set, the temperature turns on you.” He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around my waist. “I guess I’ll just have to keep you warm.” I had to stop myself from giggling at such a ridiculous line. I leaned back into him and together we watched as the day turned to night. 

“We should probably go inside before we both freeze to death.” Lance whispered near my ear.

“Okay.” We turned and went back inside. I closed the balcony doors. I turned around and suddenly, I was pinned against them.

Lance’s hips were against mine, effectively trapping me. I let out a squeak as he threaded his fingers through my hair, pulling it loose from its braid. He put his mouth on mine and didn’t take it off. My hands were wrapped around Lance’s waist, my tongue breaching his mouth. I don’t know how long we stayed like that, but eventually he pulled away.

“I have to go, Keith.” Lance said sadly. I nodded.

“Go do your princely duties and court 29 other people.” I said jokingly. He smiled a little, although I could still feel his reluctance. I pushed him slightly and he headed out.

“Goodnight, Keith.” He said, standing in the secret doorway.

“Goodnight, Lance.” I said as he turned down the hallway and closed the door behind him. I did a quirky half-smile, half-frown as I went to move the armoire. Again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone wants to draw this shit, please do, just send it to me   
> My tumblr is @shejustcalledmeafish if you ever wanna talk about Voltron or SPN or shit like that


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I don't know what's going on this chapter, so I'm gonna let you figure that out for yourselves. If any of you figure it out, feel free to tell me.

I woke up with a start, my forehead drenched with sweat. I don’t remember what happens in my dreams, but I always wake up in a cold sweat when I have one. I glanced out the window and groaned. The sun hadn’t even risen over the horizon yet. Despite being on the other side of the country, my body had only taken a week to adjust to west coast life. Unfortunately, it had adjusted too well and I still woke up at 6 AM.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed and wiggled my toes. I then stood up and started stretching. After my… encounter with Lance, I haven’t seen him again, one on one. We’ve been together on group outings, but we haven’t had the chance to actually talk. Judging by the way other people have been talking, I’m not the only one he’s had adventures with. Honestly, I’m jealous, but I keep it suppressed because we’re just playing the game. 

I heard people talking about how Lance is moving fast, faster than any other royal. Even during the eventful Selection of Queen America and King Maxon. Not to mention Queen Eadlyn and Prince Consort Eikko. Of course, those were several generations ago.

I had found my way to the gym and ended up spending most of my time there. No one else has been eliminated and I haven’t found a need to socialize with the others. It’s not like they’re going to vote me off. I finished my stretches and changed into my workout clothes. It’s always fun walking down the fancy marble staircase in gym shorts and a muscle tank. 

My servants quickly realized that they should only come if I called. I manage my life and they just make sure my clothes are clean. We work well together. At least they aren’t Lotor’s servants. I can hear him yelling at them all the time, that jackass. 

I grabbed my phone and tucked it into a pocket before heading out of my room. None of the Selected are up this early, so the only people I saw were guards and maids. I made my way downstairs to the fully equipped gym. 

The gym was mostly empty except for some guards running laps on the treadmills. I gave them a wave before continuing onward. There was an entire corner of the gym devoted to sparring. Next to an arena type area, there was a rack of stuff like fencing swords and bo staffs. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail before picking up one of the bo staffs.

I adjusted my grip on the staff before taking a couple of swings. I can fight with a sword or a knife, but I figured I’d might as well take advantage of the palace’s equipment. I braced the staff on the ground and used it as a support as I swung myself around in a double kick. I landed and swung the staff around. I had done a few more practice maneuvers when I felt a gaze from behind me. I instinctively moved and aimed the staff behind me. I froze, the end of the staff barely away from Lance’s nose.

“Lance!” I said, quickly pulling my staff down and to my side. Lance was immaculately dressed in a blue suit with a matching tie. I, in comparison, was sweaty and severely underdressed.

“So this is where you’ve been hiding.” He remarked casually, striding around me. “You know, I miss spending time with you.”

“You, you do?” I stammered, clutching the staff tightly with both hands now. Lance stopped pacing and stood in front of me. He clasped his hands together and smiled.

“Of course, I do. Did our time on the balcony mean nothing to you?” I quickly glanced around. Luckily, everyone else had left when Lance came in. More likely, he had ordered them out. Upon realizing that we were alone, my pulse started to quicken. What was Lance intending?

“It was nice.” I admitted. “But I’m sure that you’ve found someone better. Even if the whole lot of them are virgins.” I clapped a hand over my mouth. The statement was rude, but true. Hopefully, Lance wouldn’t question it.

“And you’re not?” He questioned anyway. Damn it. I’m not sure why I said that, as technically it’s illegal. Might as well tell the truth.

“Someone took advantage of me when I was eight. That’s why the Shiroganes took me in, Mrs. Shirogane found me after.” I explained. Lance took on a concerned expression. He stepped closer and put a hand on my shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Keith. No one has given you a hard time about it though, right?” I nodded, but quickly turned it to a shake.

“No one here knows, but those at home in Carolina look down on people like me. I made it a point not to tell anyone here about it, but obviously that plan went AWOL.” I said with a sigh.

“I won't tell anyone and since none of the palace staff mentioned it, I assume your secret is safe with whomever you've told.” Lance promised. He shifted his position, moving his hand from my shoulder to around my waist. The other hand quickly joined it. My staff clattered to the ground. It felt nice, but I was still uncomfortable from earlier.

“Stop.” I said quietly, pulling his hands off my waist. Luckily, he didn’t protest, instead simply stepping back.

“Of course. I am wondering, however, if you would care to accompany me to the theater downstairs.” He asked politely. I noticed that his hands were fiddling with his watch and that small thing made me feel much more comfortable.

“Of course.” I picked up the staff and placed it back on the rack.” I have to change first though. "I said, gesturing to my sweaty workout clothes.

“Allow me to escort you to your room, Keith.” He offered me a hand and I only hesitated for a second before taking it.

“If you wish.” It felt a little awkward holding hands with the prince when I was so sweaty and underdressed. We made our way out of the gym and walked up the marble staircase together. As we approached my little corner of the Selected wing, Grant stepped out of his room and saw me. He smiled, gave me a thumbs up, then stepped back into his room before Lance could see him. I smiled at his gesture. Grant is probably the only Selected who wouldn’t attempt to ruin my time with Lance.

I opened my door and both Lance and I stepped inside. Usually, I’d be more cautious about letting someone in my room, but seeing as he had already been inside multiple times, I didn’t think I had much to worry about.

“Just give me a second.” I said before striding over to the armoire. I opened it and pulled out some clean and slightly nicer clothes. I then went into the bathroom and locked the door. As I was changing, I heard some mechanical whirring and a light thud. I quickly adjusted the tags around my neck before stepping back out into my main room.  
To my surprise, the armoire was moved and Lance was keying the code into the door. He popped the door open before turning and smiling at me.

“How did you move that so quickly?” I asked.

“I might have forgotten to tell you that there’s a button you can push that gives the armoire wheels.” Indeed, the armoire now stood on tiny wheels. Lance gave it a push and it moved easily and quietly.

“You are so lucky you’re cute.” I fumed. He laughed and gestured to the passageway.

“The theater awaits.” He said. I joined him and together we headed into the bowels of the castle.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Movie date, the Report, something you probably should expect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long, but I was accused of plagiarism on my other story. It kinda crushes the urge to write. Have some happy gays and more unplanned Supernatural references. When I started this story, I hadn't even watched Supernatural. Oh how the tables have tabled.

The passageway wasn’t as dark as I had assumed it to be. There was a string of lights along the ceiling, all steady and unwavering. We walked along the path quickly.

“Lance, could you slow down a little?” I said, stumbling on a loose tile.

“Sorry, Keith.” He said, not slowing his pace. “I want to make sure that we have time to see the entire movie before the Report tonight.” I didn’t protest, instead picking up my pace to keep up with him. Lance hadn’t made any eliminations since the first day and a Report would be a likely time for another elimination. I felt fairly certain that I was safe, but I wasn’t about to lose focus.

We had passed several tunnels and turned down a few. None of the tunnels were labeled, probably as a deterrent to any invaders. Lance seemed to have the map memorized and before long, we were in the theater.

“Woah.” I breathed. I turned and saw Lance looking at me with adoring eyes. He quickly shook the expression off and smiled.

“Nothing like this in Carolina, huh?” I shook my head.

“Everything is better here. I might just have to move here after I leave.” I said, not really thinking.

“Well, let’s get a movie going.” Lance said after a minute. He led me to a large seat. He sat down, then beckoned for me to join him. I sat down and felt his arm nestle around my shoulders. I leaned into Lance and the lights dimmed. The screen blinked on with a stream of movies. Lance shuffled through the movies and we ended up with a romantic comedy because apparently those were Lance’s favorite. Not really my favorite, but I was happy to see him happy. 

Halfway through the movie, he laughed. I felt the vibrations and shivered. It was odd being so close to someone as they laughed. Not bad, just odd. I reached my hand over and Lance took it. We watched the rest of the movie with our hands clasped together.

When the movie was over, I stood up and almost fell over. My foot had fallen asleep. Lance caught me and laughed.

“I guess you’re really starting to fall for me.” He flirted. I laughed.

“You’d think we’d be past cheesy pick-up lines by now.” I said.

“You’re right.” He said before kissing me. I felt my walls crumble around me. I don’t know how I got to be semi-dating this perfect man. Even if he is semi-dating several other people.

“You’d better go. Can’t have you looking all rumpled on television.” I teased. He grinned.

“What kind of date would I be if I didn’t escort you back to your room?” He said. I smiled and took his hand.

“Let’s go.” I said before we plunged back into the tunnel.

A couple of hours later, I was standing in front of a mirror while my servants worked on the dress I was going to wear for the Report. It was their idea that I should stand out from the other boys. I wasn’t going to argue with them on fashion choices.

The dress was sleeveless and strapless. The skirt was almost floor-length in the back, but in the front it only went to my knees. The top was white and around my waist was a black belt. The skirt however was a billowing red and matched the streak in my hair.

“All finished, Sir Keith.” I looked at myself in the mirror and allowed myself to smile. While dressing like this all the time would get annoying, I couldn’t deny that I looked good. I abstained from wearing any jewelry besides my tags. I did let them do my makeup since I was going to be on TV. 

“Thank you. You can go now.” They nodded and left the room. I still had some time to kill before the Report, but instead of doing anything productive, I ended up just pacing the floor. I glanced at the clock and decided to head down early. This way I can get a seat in the back. I left my room and the hallway was quiet. Everyone was still getting ready, so the hall was quiet as I headed to the studio.

The studio was big and I spotted Coran Smythe doing a soundcheck. A servant noticed me and dashed over.

“Sir Keith. You're early.” She sound perplexed. I nodded.

“I hope that's okay.” I asked anxiously.

“Of course. Follow me.” She led me over to a stand of bleachers set up for the Selected. No one was there yet, so I had my pick of seats. I walked up and took a seat in the back. The servant shook her head at me before walking away. I just smiled. I like it up here. I can see everything and the camera won’t find me much. 

I did a quick count of the seats. Six rows of five seats. Good that the 30 of us made an even number of seats. Luckily, I didn’t had to wait long until someone walked into the studio. I didn’t recognize him at first. While he talked to the servant, I ran a list of the men in the Selection through my head. I was working on getting everyone’s names down, but I was working on the women first, so that I didn’t come off as a dick.

I thought it was probably Christopher or Misha or Tyler... or Jared. Or Kohl. Okay, I have no idea. He came up the steps and sat in the row below me. He turned around.

“Hi. You’re Keith, right? I’m Kohl.” He said. I let out a tiny smile.

“Yep, that’s me. Nice to meet you, Kohl.” True to his name, his eyes were outlined in kohl. He looked vaguely Egyptian and it made him look exotic. I tried not to get jealous.

“I like the dress. It suits you.” Kohl said. I blushed and tugged my dress down a bit.

“Thanks. They said it would make me stand out. I guess it worked.” I said. We chatted for awhile as other people started to come in. I had sat on the edge of a row and when Grant walked in, he came up to join me.

“Hey, bro.” He sat next to me and we killed the rest of the time talking. Lance walked in about a minute before the Report started. He was dressed in his standard blue, but his hair was ruffled and slightly wavy. It made him look more natural and actually more attractive.

Coran took his seat in the front and the royal family settled in their thrones. Prince Jason was there, but Princess Veronica was absent. Probably due to her unborn child. I looked over everyone else. No other guy had been as ambitious with their outfit. A couple had gone with a skirt and heels and I saw two girls wearing suits. All and all, quite a varied pool.

“We’re live in 3...2…1” A cameraman called. Coran turned to the camera and flashed a smile.

“Welcome to the Illéa Capital Report. I’m Coran Smythe coming at you from the Illéa Palace. Introducing King Evan with a report on the construction in Whites.” I drowned him out after that. It’s what I do best. After what felt like forever,

“Please welcome Prince Alejandro.” There was a loud smattering of applause as Lance walked up. Instead of sitting down, he remained standing and pulled out some notecards.  
“I have an important announcement to make before the interviews begin. I have decided to have another elimination.” A hushed murmur shot through the crowd. This was almost brutal to dismiss people live on TV. 

“I am very sorry to say goodbye to the following people.” Lance said and switched notecards. 

“Lady Nyma Cortez.” A gasp burst from a girl with long blonde ponytails.

“Sir Michael Alexander.” I didn’t see his reaction, but I couldn’t help, but smile. Bye-bye, assbutt. 

“Sir Sasha Collins.” I saw a guy a couple of rows down crumple into tears.

“Lady Tammica Oliver.” The woman sitting next to Kohl took a deep, shuddering breath.

“Lady Kelia Roberts.” Down in the front row, a tiny girl with blonde hair ran off the stage.

Lance tucked the cards into his breast pocket. He smiled sadly. “If I have called your name, please exit the stage. I will meet with you after the Report.” Lance said. The remaining four left, most of them in tears. Suddenly, the crowd felt patchy and exposing. I shifted uncomfortably.

“Now, I turn it back over to you for the interviews, Coran.” He turned and went back to his throne.

“Of course, Prince Alejandro.” Coran said perkily. He appeared mostly unfazed by the sudden elimination. He would have known beforehand anyway. “Let’s get started with Lady Koriander.” Koriander stood and made her way down. She sat across from Coran and they started the interview.

All of the interviews were pretty similar. Coran asked a variety of questions, but everyone got two of them. “How would you describe Prince Alejandro?” and “Have you kissed yet?”. Most of the answers to the first question were things like “Nice” and “Handsome”. I was getting a little scared because no one had said “Yes” to the second question. 

Are they lying or am I really that special? Hell, my tongue’s been in his mouth. You’d think that’d make me more comfortable, but it kinda made me want to die.

“Last, but not least, Sir Keith!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: @shejustcalledmeafish


	16. Don't get your hopes up, it's an A/N

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N

Sorry, but I'm putting this story on hiatus. I need an urge to write and if I force myself to, the chapters will come out shitty. Like around chapter 5 or so. Sorry, but this story is on hiatus indefinitely.


	17. I have a question for my loyal readers A/N

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which I cannot get my fucking bitch ass into gear and write shit

To anyone who has stuck with this story, I'm very grateful. I've been a wreck and a procrastinating mess. I want to know if I should rewrite this story, make the chapters bigger and make the story flow better. I didn't write an outline for this which was a very stupid and self sabotaging move. My doc is 36 pages long so I don't want to start unless people want it.

In unrelated news, if anyone is a Supernatural fan, yell at me to work on a Destiel and Sabriel fic that I started and can't grow a pair and work on. Hell, just yell at me in general, i know my writing is shit, I don't need to lose contests and write horrible fanfic to know that.


	18. Final A/N, the story has moved

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Listen up

I have decided to "rewrite" this story. It is now a separate work called "The Seven". 95% of the story is the same, but it's better edited and I added Lotura because I'm a sucker for it apparently. "The Seven" will have 25 chapters and it will encompass all of Lance's Selection. I have to write a plot diagram and edit stuff, so the first chapter will be up in a day or so. I'm going on vacation, but the hotel has good wi-fi, so it shouldn't interfere too much.

SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION TIME  
I did end up posting that SPN thing, it's called "Haven", so if you like Destiel and Sabriel, check it out?


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